Couleur Additive. Recherche d’atelier 1964

Carlos Cruz-Diez made this piece, Couleur Additive. Recherche d’atelier, using what looks like thin stripes of acrylic paint, it’s all about layering and experimenting with colour, like a science project but way more fun. What grabs me is how he builds up the surface, line by line. The paint isn’t trying to hide; you can see the slight variations, the tiny imperfections in each stripe. It's like he's saying, “Hey, this is how it’s done, one step at a time.” There's this one spot where the blue overlaps the green and it creates this almost electric, shimmering effect. It's not just blue plus green equals darker green, it's something else entirely, a new visual sensation that pops right out at you. This piece reminds me of Bridget Riley’s Op Art, but with a warmer, more handmade feel. Cruz-Diez isn’t trying to fool you with perfect illusions; he’s inviting you to watch colour in action. It’s a reminder that art is as much about the process as it is about the final image, and that there’s always room for a little bit of magic in the mix.