Fragment 3 1965

Bridget Riley made this painting, Fragment 3, with black and white paint to create an optical sensation. I find myself thinking about Riley’s process, the way she’s thinking about how we see as she builds up the painting. There’s a real physicality to the way these zigzags seem to move and vibrate. Notice how each line is so precise, a testament to the artist's control, yet together they create this feeling of dynamism, like something is actually happening on the surface of the canvas. And it's really interesting how she limits herself to black and white, which is very bold. It strips everything down to the essentials of form and contrast. It reminds me a little bit of Sol LeWitt, and his explorations of simple geometric forms. Art is really a conversation across time, right?