BiGA 1976

Here we have Vasarely’s BiGA, made with careful planning, but which still messes with your senses in a fun way. It’s a print, so the surface is flat and smooth. But within that flatness, Vasarely creates the illusion of bulging forms. It’s all about color and value. Look at the way he uses the blues, greens, pinks and oranges, each little square contributing to the overall effect. The colors aren’t blended, but placed side by side, so your eye does the work of mixing them. Up close it's just a grid, a mathematical equation, but step back and it feels like these forms are about to pop off the surface. Vasarely came from a design background, and he clearly loved playing with how we perceive things. It reminds me a little of Bridget Riley, another artist who messes with our eyes. But where Riley is all about the shimmer, Vasarely is about creating solid, almost architectural forms out of pure color. It's a trip.