Zèbres 1932 - 1942

Victor Vasarely painted "Zèbres" with thick lines of black and white paint laid on top of one another, creating these pulsating forms. I can almost feel the artist there in the studio, slowly building up the layers, probably thinking about geometry and perception, maybe even a little bit about the way light can play tricks on our eyes. Look at the way the lines curve and bend, almost like they're breathing, trying to trick us into thinking we are looking into a deep tunnel. You can see how each line is carefully placed, building up to the overall effect. It reminds me a little bit of Bridget Riley's paintings, where she's also playing with patterns and movement. You can see these artists are looking at each other's work, thinking about it, and pushing the possibilities of what painting can do. And that's what it's all about, this ongoing conversation, artists building on what came before, exploring new ways of seeing and feeling.