Gyongy no. 2480 1972

Victor Vasarely made Gyongy no. 2480, using simple geometric shapes to create an illusion of depth. Look closely, and you'll see it's all about circles and squares playing tricks on your eyes. Vasarely was a master of Op Art, and this piece is a prime example. The colors, just shades of grey, are laid down flatly. But it's the arrangement, the way the shapes interact, that makes the surface seem to bulge outwards. There is a sort of tension in the regularity of the grid, with the push and pull of this emerging form. Think of Josef Albers and his color squares. Vasarely takes a similar approach, but instead of exploring color relationships, he's messing with our perception of space. It's a reminder that art isn't just about what you see, but how you see it.