New Acquisition: Bridget Riley 'Large Fragment 2'
Legendary British painter Bridget Riley was born in London in 1931 and specialises in geometric shape and form. In the 1960’s, after a brief stint in teaching, she became a commercial illustrator where she first experimented with geometric artwork firstly in black and white then, later, in 1967 she began her famous colour experiments.
‘Large Fragment 2’ was created in 2009 and represents the artist’s continued exploration of colour and form, with overlapping waves creating a sense of rhythmic movement and harmony. The work gives the impression of a three-dimensional space unfolding before the viewer's eyes producing one of Riley’s iconic optical effects.
By juxtaposing complementary or contrasting hues, Riley creates visual tension and depth within her artworks, imbuing her work with a sense of energy. Her exploitation of optical illusions makes her 2D canvases move, vibrate and sparkle, allowing the viewer to reflect on how they feel physically when observing. This was the main goal of the optical art movement, which became popular in the 1960’s through the works of Riley, Victor Vasarely and Richard Anuskiewicz.