Cheyt-MM 1970

Victor Vasarely made this, Cheyt-MM, and just look at how he’s built a world that pops right out at you. He’s got a grid, and then he’s got the sphere emerging from that grid, like some kind of alien life form or something. I can almost feel him, carefully plotting out each cube, pushing and pulling the space with color. I mean, imagine doing all of that by hand! Each block is a little decision; it’s not just about making an image. This is about making you think and making you feel. These yellows, blacks, and grays are so graphic, so bold. The way he makes it bulge out, it's like he's daring you to touch it, to see if it’s real. Optical art messes with your head like that! It’s a continuation of the experiments that painters have been doing for centuries. What is real? What is flat? And what can painting do?