Cataract 3 1967

Bridget Riley’s Cataract 3 is a real trip, isn’t it? Look at those sine waves of pure color vibrating and shimmering before our eyes. I can only imagine Riley in her studio, perhaps with a specific set of rules, like a system, patiently coaxing those lines into existence, making careful adjustments as the piece began to emerge. You have to wonder, what was she thinking as she painted this? Maybe she felt like she was tapping into some kind of universal vibration, some pulse that connects us all. The lines are so precise, but the overall effect is fluid and almost hypnotic. What a way of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world! Riley’s piece speaks to me about the sheer power of art to mess with our perceptions, and I guess we will continue to make art, learn from one another, steal from one another, riff off one another, and keep the conversation going!