Canopus I 1959 - 1960

Victor Vasarely made "Canopus I" with paint, creating these bold geometric forms in black and white. I wonder about the process, how he might have approached the canvas with such a clear vision of the final image. The circles, crisp and cool, make me think about the hard-edge painting of the 60s. It’s like he’s trying to build something, a structure. The white shapes look like they’re pushing through the black, popping out. What I find appealing is the precision, the way he balances the positive and negative space to create an optical vibration. I imagine Vasarely thinking about math, about the relationships between shapes and space, while also just trying to make a painting that sings. And really, that’s what we’re all doing, figuring out how to make shapes and colours sing together.