Optical Illusions

SEE THINK WONDER

What do you see in the picture? What do you think is happening and what was the artist trying to tell you with this picture? What does this picture make you wonder about?

M. C. Escher (1898-1972). Swans, 1956. Wood engraving on thin Japanese paper. 7-7/8 x 12-5/8 inches (20 x 32.1 cm)

What is OP Art?

The magazine Time Magazine coined the term Op Art in 1964, in response to the Julian Stanckzak show Optical Panintings at the Martha Jackson Gallerry, to refer to an abstract art form that used optical illusions. Op art, short for optical art, is a style of visual art that uses optical illusions.[1]

Op art works are abstract, with many better known pieces created in black and white. Typically, they give the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images, flashing and vibrating patterns, or of swelling or warping.