Op Art derives from the constructivist practices of the Bauhaus but the term „Op Art“ appears for the first time in 1964 and is an abbreviation of the title „Optical Paintings at the Martha Jackson Gallery“, a show curated that year by Julian Stanczak.

Op Art is a perceptual experience relating to the functions of vision. It puts the foreground and the background in a tense juxtaposition. Its most crucial artist is certainly Victor Vasarely. Kinetic Art is a related phenomenon where the artist makes use of optical illusions as well as movement.

The best known artists of this movement are Yacow Agam, Carlos Cruz-Diez , Jesus Raphael Soto, Gregorio Vardanega and Nicolas Schöffer. In 1961 the „Groupe de Recherge d’Art Visuel“ was founded by Francois Morellet, Julio Parc and Yvaral among others.

Gerhard von Graevenitz belonged to the group „Nouvelle Tendence“.

The most important representatives of the „Kinetic ART“ mouvement are Jean Tinguely, Pol Bury, George Rickey and Takis.