Neff 1980

Editor: Here we have Victor Vasarely’s "Neff" from 1980, done in acrylic. The colours, these cool blues, greens, and purples, are making me think of a retro futuristic video game. What do you see in this piece? Curator: "Neff," it pulses, doesn’t it? It’s more than just colour; these meticulously arranged squares invoke a sense of spatial distortion. Op Art like this often speaks to the post-war fascination with technology and perception. Think of it: we're emerging into an era of information overload, where our senses are constantly bombarded. Editor: So, the visual illusion relates to information overload? Curator: Precisely! The illusion tricks our eye, prompting the brain to work to resolve conflicting data. Vasarely masterfully harnesses the grid - an ancient symbol of order - and twists it into something destabilizing. Do you perceive a tension between control and chaos? Editor: Yes, definitely. The rigid grid structure is clear, but the color shifts make the surface appear like it’s bending. Curator: Exactly. And those colour choices aren't random. These blues and greens tap into archetypal notions of the sublime. The colours calm while the distortion disorients; an exploration of modern anxieties, wouldn't you say? Editor: I didn't think about it that way. I was stuck on a surface reading of colors! Thanks for opening up a new perspective. Curator: The pleasure is mine. Art is a mirror, reflecting back at us our hopes, fears and persistent drive to seek meaning from abstraction.