Canopus I 1959 - 1960

Victor Vasarely made this painting, Canopus I, at some point in his career, and it really pops with just black and white. I mean, it's not just a simple choice, it sets up a whole dynamic! Looking at it, you get this sense that it's all about construction. There's a rhythm of circles and squares, all interlocking, like a puzzle. The white shapes have a kind of matte surface, which gives them a tactile quality. It’s almost like you could reach out and touch them. When I look at the circles at the top, I get a real sense of forward movement, they seem to be pushing toward you, which contrasts with the stillness of the squares in the lower portion. Vasarely really sets things up with a basic visual language. It reminds me of Bridget Riley’s op art, but with a simpler palette, it’s less hallucinatory. It makes you realize art is a conversation, where each artist is playing with the same ideas but expressing them differently.