ARNY-W 0820 1968 - 1970

Editor: This is "ARNY-W 0820" by Victor Vasarely, made with acrylic paint sometime between 1968 and 1970. I’m really struck by the way the colours and geometric shapes seem to vibrate. What do you make of it? Curator: It’s a fascinating piece of Op Art, isn't it? Consider how geometric forms, particularly the circles and squares, have held symbolic weight throughout history. From ancient mandalas to architectural blueprints, they represent order and cosmos. How do you think Vasarely uses these shapes to play with our perception? Editor: I guess he's disrupting that order. The colours shift, and the shapes create an illusion of movement. It almost feels like it’s pulsating. Curator: Exactly! And the colours... the vibrant blues, greens, and reds. Think about the psychological impact of colour. Blue, often associated with tranquility, contrasts with the energetic red. It reminds me how artists use these visual cues to bypass our conscious minds and tap into our emotional and perhaps even subconscious associations. Where do you think he derived these symbolic choices? Editor: Maybe it's linked to the cultural mood of the late 60s, with its psychedelic art and fascination with perception? Curator: Precisely! The Op Art movement was deeply intertwined with that era’s desire to question reality and explore inner space. Also note the flatness of the work... it is almost a screen. Are these perhaps symbols we recognize, abstracted to the point they suggest an early interface, a primitive arrangement of digital material? Editor: That's interesting, I never considered that these geometric shapes, which recur across so much time, also prefigure today's technology. Curator: It illustrates how cultural memory and future aspirations intertwine within a single image, wouldn't you say? Editor: Definitely something to think about. It is as if it’s pulling us in, promising to unlock some underlying structure to everything, and failing at that very promise. Curator: Leaving you somewhere in the space between image and the deeper archetypes and symbols within the Self, yes?