KIV-SIV c. 1958 - 1964

Victor Vasarely made this painting, KIV-SIV, with regular old paint, and look, he was really seeing something special in basic shapes like squares and triangles, and those strong colors, red and blue. I mean, imagine him there, trying to find the exact right color, mixing and remixing. Then, he had to be so patient, putting each line and square in just the right spot. Did he use tape, or was he one of those freaks who can do it freehand?! I'm moved by how these shapes sort of push and pull against each other. It’s almost like they’re breathing or dancing a weird geometry dance. You can feel him thinking about how we see things, how our eyes play tricks on us. It reminds me of Bridget Riley's work, where patterns start to move and make you question what's real. In the end, that’s what art does best, right? It keeps the conversation going.