Papillion 1981

Victor Vasarely created this print called Papillion, and it looks like he was having fun with grids and color. I can imagine him methodically building up this image with flat, bold colors, probably with stencils and squeegees. The whole surface seems to bend and bulge, even though it’s just a flat plane. The eye bounces between those vivid reds, blues, and oranges, which all seem to hover on the surface. It is interesting to consider the title: Papillion is French for butterfly, and you can almost see the symmetrical wings of a butterfly emerging from the geometric abstraction. Vasarely was a pioneer of Op Art, and his work, like that of Bridget Riley, invites the viewer to participate in an almost psychedelic experience. I find myself wondering if these artists were in conversation? It certainly feels as though they are.