Zaïra 2 1950 - 1958

Victor Vasarely made this painting, Zaïra 2, using geometric shapes in shades of grey, black and white. Vasarely’s work has close ties to the Op Art movement which gained momentum in the mid-1960s. Born in Hungary and later working in France, Vasarely was preoccupied with geometric abstraction. This approach to making art, that moved away from figurative or narrative content, flourished in post-war Europe amid a growing interest in science, technology and industry. But it also coincided with new critical theories about the social and institutional function of art. This form of abstraction was about creating a universal visual language that could speak to all viewers, regardless of their cultural background, class or education. This was partly achieved through careful geometric construction that can be examined with the help of historical research. The universalist, egalitarian ideals that this art embodied are still relevant today.