Bridget Riley

As we have gone through the semester I have come to realize that the art I tend to appreciate the most is simple and fun. I enjoy Pollock, Oldenburg, and recently discovered I enjoy Bridget Riley. Considering this is my last blog, I figured I would post about something I enjoy rather than a painting or book that I was not a fan of. When flipping through the pages of Chapter 37 in the book, it seems nearly impossible to miss the piece Current by Bridget Riley because of how it messes with your eyes.

Bridget Riley is known for what we call Optical Art, which pretty much just art that messes with your eyes. This form of art intrigues me. It fits the bill for the type of art I enjoy (it does not hold some incredibly deep meaning that one has to search for in order to appreciate) and it is fascinating to look at. You can stare are the painting and over time you start seeing different things as the painting begins to mess with your eyes. Some of the pieces trick your eyes into thinking the painting is moving on the canvas. Metropolitan 136 is another one of Riley's works that is fun to look at. Even just moving your head while looking at changes how your eyes perceive the image. 

I fascinates me how paint on a canvas is able to trick the human eye to where it appears it is moving. I couldn't imagine attempting to paint such an image. I don't understand how it is possible to look at the image long enough to finish it without your eyes freaking out on you. After staring at it for just a short time I have to look away because my eyes can't comprehend what is going on. On top of that, it would take a lot of talent and precision to get the detailed lines placed just as they are needed in order to create the desired eye-tricking effect. I find this to be a new and creative twist on art. It takes painting in a new direction that I definitely wouldn't have thought of taking it.  When I was younger I used to enjoy trying to find weird pictures online like these that would mess with my eyes, little did I know this was actually a kind of art. Bridget Riley/Op Art is another one to add to my list of art that I find fun and enjoyable.