An artist who reached the peak of his fame in the 70s, Victor Vasarely, the grandfather of optical art, created a rich body of work consisting of more than 10,000 paintings. Having fallen into relative obscurity, he returns to centre stage with an unprecedented retrospective running from February 6th to May 6th, 2019 at the Pompidou Centre.
Victor Vasarely; return of a legend
The Hungarian artist Victor Vasarely occupies a special place in the history of 20th century art.
The former graphic designer and poster artist distinguished himself in the field of contemporary art by creating a new trend, a form of geometric abstract art called optical art (Op Art).
Having settled in Paris in 1930, Vasarely began to express himself through painting from 1935, creating portraits, landscapes and still life works before adopting an abstract approach in 1947. He then began to produce masterpieces of art and sculpture using angular geometry and powerful contrasts of shadow and light to create optical illusions that seem to vibrate, blink and otherwise deceive the eyes.
Vasarely’s legacy is found in fashion, music and even cars.
The Sharing of Forms awaits you at the Pompidou Centre
What more appropriate setting could there be for the works of this remarkable figure of Op Art than the Pompidou Centre? The last major Paris exhibition dedicated to Vasarely took place in 1963 at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Today, the Pompidou Centre invites you to discover The Sharing of Forms, a retrospective that examines the creations of the artist through an exceptional display of nearly 300 works (paintings, sculptures, prints, serigraphs, studies, architectural designs and advertising art produced early in his career). Among these are 80 paintings retracing a chronological and thematic journey from Vasarely’s beginnings and the influence on his work of the famous German Bauhaus art school through to the artist’s final productions. A unique exhibition to discover during your stay in Paris!
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