Creating Rhythm & Movement Through “OP Art”

Rhythm Rhythm is a word we are familiar with when we think of subjects such as music and dance. You might think of it as the drum beat to a song, the clapping of hands or even the tapping noise created by dancers on the floor. Words such as beat, tempo or pulsing may come to mind. These are examples of rhythms we hear. Now think of what rhythm means to a visual artist.

Rhythm Is One of the Principles of Design To an artist, rhythm shows movement through the artists' repetition of certain elements of art. Just as in music when a beat is repeated over and over, an artist will use an element of art such as color and repeat it over and over in a work of art. Let's look at an example. Here is an example of a cut paper tessellation design. What is used to create the appearance of Rhythm in this work? Possible answers could be: a) the fish design is repeated over and over. b) the colors white and orange appear as a pattern. Do you see anything else that is repeated in this artwork? How about the lines that form the scales of the fish. Or the black triangles that decorate the backbone of the fish Brittney, 8th grade, Fish tessellation, Cut paper and markers, 9 x 9"

Movement Movement is another very important Principle of Design. Perhaps you are thinking that artworks as a rule do not actually move. You are correct, but we are talking about visual movement. Artists know that if certain Elements Of Art are used to create a Rhythm, there will be visual movement. The viewer's eye is drawn from one object to the next as they appear over and over in a piece of work. Let's take a look at an example.

Painted near a mental asylum in June of 1889, just months before his death at the age of 37. In Starry Night, famed artist Vincent Van Gogh creates Movement in his sky. How does he show us this? Possible answers could be: a) the swirling motion of the colors in the sky showing the artist's interpretation of wind b) the repetition of the brushstrokes and paint dabs Can you find anything else that appears to give this painting a sense of Movement?Look at the stars. They are all yellow and round, vary in size and placement, and they have "halos" of light encircling them. Look at the painting and concentrate on how your eyes bounce from one star to another. This is an example of how an artist can create Movement in a work of art. Vincent Van Gogh, (Dutch) 1853-1890, Starry Night, 1889, Oil on Canvas Museum of Modern Art, NY

Creating Rhythm & Movement Through “OP Art” How does Riley create Rhythm in this piece? Repetition of the square shapes and repeating black color. (In the other work) by repetition of black lines. How does she create movement? Notice how the square shapes appear to get thinner toward the middle. (In the other work)Look at the angle of the lines that form circles. Notice how the smaller concentric circles draw your eye down into the center. Bridget Riley, Blaze 4, 1964 Bridget Riley, Movement in Squares, 1964

What is Op Art anyway? Optical Art is generally characterized by hard-edged black and white patterns or geometric shapes which use repetition of simple forms and colors to create vibrating effects.

“OP Art” The birth of op art began officially with an article in time magazine. In 1964, Time magazine published an article featuring an art movement involving optical illusions. Since the artists focused on eye manipulation, Time magazine coined this new movement “op art”.

Father of Op Art Vasarely is hailed as the inventor and father of optical art. The breakthrough brought by his "kinetic" experiments transformed the flat surface into a world of unending possibilities, way before the advent of computers, book marking an era in the history of art in general. Victor Vasarely 1906-1997

Female OP Artist Artists like Bridget Riley (Born, 1931) understood that the human eye has trouble looking at certain color combinations and line combinations. In fact, if you stare at them long enough, the images actually appear to move or vibrate. Bridget Riley, 1964 Bridget Riley, 1982

Get Ready to create your own OP-ART You will create your own OP-Art designs that will use both rhythm and movement based on the ideas of Riley & Vasarely. Finished! Op Art Design in the style of Bridget Riley.