Himer 1957 - 1961

Victor Vasarely made this geometric composition, Himer, using a limited palette of blacks, whites, and grays. I bet he was interested in how shapes can play tricks on the eye. Look at how the squares and triangles seem to float and overlap. It’s like Vasarely’s playing with architectural forms, or maybe he’s giving us a puzzle to solve. I can imagine him, moving shapes around on the canvas, trying to find the perfect balance between order and chaos. The surface looks pretty smooth, so maybe he used tape to get those crisp lines, which gives it a graphic, almost print-like quality. It reminds me a little of Josef Albers' color studies, or maybe some early computer art. It’s all about how simple forms can create complex relationships. Artists are always riffing off each other, across time, inspiring each other’s creativity. And with painting, there are no fixed meanings, just invitations to keep looking and thinking.