Pulsar – bleu 1971

Victor Vasarely made ‘Pulsar – bleu’ with paint sometime in his career. The careful application of colour in small geometric shapes to create an almost hallucinatory effect makes me think about the way that our brains are wired to seek order. It's like he’s hacking into our visual system. Looking closer, you’ll notice the texture is smooth. The red and blue hues are applied with precision; these small diamond shapes build a larger pattern, but the colours play tricks on the eye. I find myself focusing on the centre, where the colours are darkest, and the illusion of depth is most pronounced. Vasarely's use of geometric abstraction is like he's speaking the language of machines while hinting at the mysteries of perception. It reminds me a bit of Bridget Riley's explorations of Op Art, but with a harder edge. Ultimately, ‘Pulsar – bleu’ is a reminder that art can be both intellectually stimulating and visually arresting, and that there’s always more to see than meets the eye.