Composition Cinétique 1970

This hypnotic rainbow of winding forms is Julio Le Parc’s "Composition Cinétique". The bands of color are so smooth and consistent, they remind me of a print, but I suspect they were hand-painted. Look closely. Can you see the subtle shifts in tone? These suggest the patient hand of the artist, carefully layering each stripe. The way these colors fold and turn creates an illusion of movement, just like a moiré pattern. It's almost as if the painting is breathing, or the colors are rippling before your eyes. I'm also reminded of the American painter, Kenneth Noland, and his target paintings. Ultimately, Le Parc's painting is a playful exploration of perception, reminding us that what we see is never fixed, but always in flux.