Paperink

1993.06

Anonymous

Gift

Gift of Anonymous

1966

BlackBlueGreen

Tones and shades of greens and blues as well as black

Cultural/Historical Context

"The most prominent of the design-based optical artists to create a large body of prints is Victor Vasarely, whose Hungarian art teacher was a former Bauhaus student. Vasarely has theorized that the integration and inseparability of form and color, which he calls ""plastic unity,"" provides the basis for the construction of infinite numbers of compositions. In most of his works the grouping of units creates contrasts of form and color that stimulate a visual sense of spatial movement. Vasarely had a social message in mind as he developed his compositional ideas: If the content of art consisted purely of color and simple geometric forms, the viewer would not have to bring to its appreciation a personal life-experience. Thus, it has been Vasarely's intention to expand his compositions into architectural components and insure wider distribution of them not only as silkscreen prints but also by manufacturing multiple units with which the possessor could create his own compositions."