Op Art emerged from the experimental ideas of the Bauhaus, the pioneering German school of art, architecture, and design. The term “Op Art” was first introduced in 1964, inspired by the exhibition Optical Paintings at the Martha Jackson Gallery, curated by Julian Stanczak. At its core, Op Art explores the mechanics of vision, creating dynamic effects by placing the foreground and background in sharp tension. The movement’s central figure is French-Hungarian Victor Vasarely, widely regarded as the father of Op Art. Other leading figures who were instrumental in developing the movement were Bridget Riley and Jesus Rafael Soto.

Closely related is “Kinetic Art,” which expands these optical illusions through the use of actual or implied movement, heightening the viewer’s visual experience. Key figures of the Kinetic Art movement include Yaacov Agam, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Jesús Rafael Soto, Jean Tinguely, Pol Bury, George Rickey, Takis, and Gerhard von Graevenitz.

In Paris, the Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel (GRAV), founded by François Morellet and others in 1960, explored collective experimentation and interactive approaches to perception. At the same time, artists such as Tinguely, Bury, Rickey, and Takis gained recognition for their inventive use of movement and mechanics, while von Graevenitz became closely associated with the Nouvelle Tendance movement, which shared a similar focus on optical and kinetic effects.