WAUSAU, WIS.- An exhibition of artwork by the world-renowned father of the Op Art movement, Victor Vasarely, opened at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum on Saturday, December 1. “Victor Vasarely: Op Art Master,” an exhibition from the collection of Herakleidon Museum in Athens, Greece, comprises more than 150 serigraphs, lithographs, and gouache paintings – designed to engage the mind and eye.

Vasarely’s bold monochromatic and vividly colorful, geometric artworks often seem to swell, recede, undulate, and pulsate. To create this optical trickery – illusions of mass and motion that appear to emanate from his two-dimensional artwork – Vasarely experimented with color, background, geometric combinations, and materials as he sought contrast, distorted grids, and played with perspective.

Vasarely’s innovative use of optical illusions became popular in the 1960s and 70s, when Op Art extended into everyday life via design, advertisements, and architecture. With an “art for all” motto, he advocated for democratizing art by producing multiples and screen-prints and by integrating art into architecture and public spaces. His series of “architectural integrations” included his “Kinetic Wall” at the 1968 Winter Olympics’ speed circuit in Grenoble, France.

With a lasting impact on print, poster, and fabric design, Vasarely’s artwork exploring optical illusions and spatial relationships is a source of inspiration for those interested in art, computer programming, architecture, and beyond.

This One Source Traveling Exhibition was organized by PAN Art Connections, Inc., and will remain on view at the Woodson Art Museum through February 24, 2019.

Hands-on Programs for All Ages Make Exhibition Connections
Museum programs for all ages will bring to life themes, artistic styles, and techniques from “Victor Vasarely: Op Art Master” and the Museum’s collection exhibitions. Op Art infused games and puzzles will be available in the galleries this winter. In Art Park – the Museum’s recently re-imagined, interactive family gallery – all ages explore kaleidoscopes, gears, and puzzles. Also, seek the art of Victor Vasarely’s optical-illusion gems via the Museum’s free Activity Guide, designed for use by all ages, in the galleries and at home.