Vasarely, Victor

(1908-1997)

   painter

   of Hungarian origin, Victor Vasarely, the creator of op Art and one of its most successful proponents, was born in Pecs, Hungary, where he studied the principles of the Viennese Bauhaus school. He settled in Paris in 1930 and, while working there as a graphic artist, developed his theories on axono-metric perspective and linear derivations. His series of geometric abstractions (Arlequins, Échiquiers, Zebres, Improvisations sur calques) were the result of his research. After 1937, he organized inspired forms based on the patterns of the tiling views of the Denfert-Rochereau metro station (his "Denfert period") and began to study light and the illusion of movement created by optical processes which he eventually termed "cinétisme" (1955). He also developed art based on the repetition of a cell (a square containing a figure or a geometric plane), and later introduced vibrant colors that further enhanced these optical illusions. In their fully developed form, his geometric abstractions produce mesmerizing, almost hallucinatory effects through the manipulation of perspective and foreshortening. His art, based on both mathematical precision and joyful expression, seeks to reconcile modern technology with art. He redefined the latter through his efforts to ameliorate the human environment. Vasarely, who had an enormous influence on younger op artists, established the Foundation Vasarely near Aix-en-Provence. He also collaborated with other artists on such projects as the French Pavillion at Expo '67 in Montréal.