Discussion: Line
What is a line?
how important do you think it is for art?
let’s name a few lines: Diagonal, Curved, spiral, think, thick, wavy,etc...
want to see drawn lines on paper begin to move?
show Bridget Riley’s work, then begin to rotate it.
Op is short for optical illusion. Thinking we see something that we don’t.
Famous as an early proponent of Op Art, Bridget Riley was born in South London.
Riley’s artistic education: Goldsmiths college of art from 1949, then at the Royal College from 1952-5.
Riley exhibited her artwork in a number of group shows at this early stage 1958.
A mental breakdown led Riley away from her studio in the late 1950s.
Upon her recovery she took up a string of teaching posts.
It was during this period that Riley honed her personal artistic style.
Played with pointillism
Riley discovered her own method of treating optics in paint.
The first painting rendered in this ground-breaking mode was ‘Kiss’ of 1961. The canvas is a sea of black, divided by an emerging white band which marks the space between two approaching bodies.
The painting was immediately followed by Riley’s first solo show the following year, which took place at Gallery One in London, which showed her early monochromatic paintings.
Riley also exhibited in the 1965 New York show which first propelled the concept of ‘Op’ art into the media spotlight.
It was not until 1967 that she splashed into color and the optical possibilities
The following year, 1968, saw Riley being awarded the International Prize for Painting.
She was the first British contemporary painter, and first woman, to receive the prestigious prize.
Commercial demand for Bridget Riley’s artwork peaked in the 1970s, but crumbled the following decade. The 1980s was a rather dark time for the artist as suddenly-and unexpectedly-her work fell out of fashion.
But she never stopped working and recent years have witnessed a revival in her popularity,Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville, Paris, hosted their own Riley retrospective in 2008.
A freshly-discovered interest in Riley’s artwork has also been echoed in art market sales.
In 2008 Sotherby’s London sold Riley’s ‘Chant 2’ of 1967 for over £2.5m.
Create an Op Art Piece using Black lines
Step1: using a pencil lightly draw a heart in the center of your paper
Step2: using black sharpie, draw horizontal straight lines to the heart
Step3: When you get to the heart zig zag your lines
Step4: On the other side of your heart go back to straight lines.
Step5: Continue with the steps until it is complete.
White paper
Black Pens or sharpies
