Ninive 1949 - 1952

Victor Vasarely made "Ninive" using paint to arrange geometric shapes into a seemingly impossible, yet harmonious, structure. It's a real brain tickler! Up close, the texture is smooth, not a lot of thick gloopy paint here. The magic is in the colors: oranges melt into purples, fighting and dancing at the same time. Look at the way Vasarely uses a thin, almost imperceptible line to define the edges of some of the shapes, especially those floating near the center. They give the illusion of depth, making you question what's in front and what's behind. Vasarely's work reminds me a bit of Josef Albers, who was obsessed with how colors behave next to each other. But while Albers was all about subtle shifts, Vasarely goes for the bold statement, creating a visual playground that messes with your mind in the best possible way. It's a reminder that art can be both playful and deeply thought-provoking.