You've seen the advertisement* on the left side of our page for a few weeks now, and this Friday the wait will be over. Op Art Revisited will open at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery this Friday, July 18. (AKAG Director Louis Grachos will be leading the sneak peek tour at 6:30PM on Thursday the 17th!)
Op Art Revisited is comprised entirely of works acquired by the Albright-Knox over the last 50 years, and most of the works in this presentation entered the collection shortly after their creation, exemplifying the Gallery’s tradition of buying artwork, some have said, “while the paint was still wet."
Victor Vasarely’s Vega-Nor (above), created in 1969, was the gift of Gallery patron Seymour H. Knox Jr. in 1969.
The definition of op art (short for optical) is that of a form of abstract art that gives the illusion of movement by the precise use of pattern and color, or in which conflicting patterns emerge and overlap. Through the use of parallel lines, concentric circles and electric colors, these artists manipulated depth, perspective, space, and color to create an optical illusion.
The Op Art movement began in the 1950s only to peak in the mid-1960s and fade from the scene due to a lack of critical interest. More recent works by contemporary artists Tim Bavington, Olafur Eliasson, and Susie Rosmarin are also included in the exhibition to illustrate a resurgence of interest in Op Art. Olafur Eliasson’s work Triple ripple, 2004 (below), is a spectacular and elegant installation that uses reflective light to interact with both architectural space and the viewer is being exhibited for the first time.
Op Art Revisited, organized by Albright-Knox Art Gallery Associate Curator Holly E. Hughes, includes 43 paintings and sculptures. Debuted as part of the Bank of America Great Art Series in April 2006 at the New York State Museum in Albany, NY and then the San Jose Museum of Art, CA, the exhibit includes works from artists central to the Op Art movement, such as Josef Albers, Richard Anuskiewicz, Bridget Riley, Julian Stanczak and Victor Vasarely.
The collection will be on view at the Gallery from July 18 through Jan 25, 2009. Beginning July 17, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Gallery Shop and restaurant muse will be open Thursday evenings until 10PM.
Image 1:
Victor Vasarely
Vega-Nor, 1969
Oil on canvas
Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery
Image 2:
Tim Bavington
Surprise, Surprise, 2003
Acrylic on canvas
Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery
Image 3:
Olafur Eliasson
Triple ripple, 2004
Three glass/mirror disks, motors, spotlight, and wire, installation dimensions variable
Installation view: Kunsthaus, Dresden 2004
Courtesy the artist; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York; and neugerriemschneider, Berlin
Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery
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