Bridget Riley, born in London in 1931, is a prominent figure in the Op Art movement. Early life experiences, including wartime evacuation to Cornwall and exposure to nature's patterns, influenced her artistic sensibilities. Her style evolved with influences from Seurat, Pollock, and Balla. Riley's breakthrough came in the 1960s with black and white geometric paintings like "Fall" and "Current," which created illusions of movement and depth. Her work gained international recognition through exhibitions like "The Responsive Eye" at MoMA. Riley's exploration of color and form continues to challenge viewers' perceptions and solidify her place in art history. A key work, "Movement in Squares" (1961), exemplifies her innovative use of simple elements to produce dynamic optical effects, marking a pivotal moment in Op Art and influencing various fields beyond fine art.

Arts Madness 2025

Season 11 is all about my Arts Madness Tournament. Once again, I hope you will weigh in on your favorite artists/artworks as we go from 64 down to 1. For this year’s tournament, I put 32 works from the AP Art History list in one bracket, and on the other side, I have 32 artists/works from my personal “Salon des Refusés” that were not included in the curriculum. Voting for Round 1 will begin Monday, February 24. In the meantime, learn about all the different artists/artworks. I will be posting daily mini episodes for 64 days (mostly encore presentations with some updates and new episodes most Mondays).

Arts Madness 2025 links:

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Bridget Riley | Movement in Squares