Vega-Bleu 1968

Victor Vasarely made this painting, Vega-Bleu, using flat areas of colour to create the illusion of depth and movement on a 2D surface. It’s like he's asking, "What if flatness could trick you into seeing something else?" The surface is smooth, betraying no trace of the artist’s hand; the image seems to emerge fully formed. But look closely at the subtle gradations within the squares of blue. These shapes aren't simply painted; they're crafted, coaxed into being. There is an almost palpable sense of the artist’s vision imposing itself on the canvas. This reminds me of Bridget Riley, another artist playing with perception. But where Riley’s work feels organic, Vasarely's is more architectural, more about the grid. And maybe that’s the real trick here: to make something so rigid feel like it’s breathing.