The room convulsed in fuzzy, static-like patterns. Every stool and wall shook as though they had just came in from the sub-zero cold. But the room wasn’t moving; this perception-pounding trip was caused by art – Op Art.
Welcome to the Columbus Museum of Art’s newly opened “Optic Nerve” exhibit. Running through June 17, “Optic Nerve” is a time warp into the 1960s illusion inducing Op Art movement. Op Art uses precise lines and shapes to create optical illusions.
It’s like a “Magic Eye” book on hallucinogens.
Op Art was named in a tongue-in-cheek way after the 1950s Pop Art phenomenon. In Op Art the mind is at the mercy of the artist. “Optic Nerve” doesn’t focus so much on the aesthetic appeal of the pieces but rather the experience viewers have interacting with them. The result is a hypnotizing journey into the perception-bending force of art.
Lunchboxes, briefcases and the cover of “Vogue” featured prominent Op Art patterns. Even Batman had to deal with the effects of the movement. A villain named Spellbinder appeared in the comic book in 1966 and used Op Art’s hypnotic powers to render his victims helpless.
Paintings dot the walls of the exhibit, which features a mixture of black-and-white and vibrant-colored pieces. In total, 55 artists and collections contributed to the collection.
Unlike “Magic Eye” books, viewers won’t struggle to see these optical illusions.
The giant black-and-white striped “Vermont” by Bill Komodore is a dizzying example of Op Art’s power. Looking around the room after 20 seconds of staring at the piece causes objects within the room to shake as if there is an electric current pulsating through them. The piece literally gets into the viewer’s head, making the art not only what the viewer sees, but what the viewer feels.
This is just the beginning of the illusions.
Stationary lines on a canvas shift and swell as the viewer walks around them. Gray colors appear then quickly vanish between black-and-white squares. Non-existent lines spin frantically around interwoven circles. All this in just the first room of the large multi-room exhibit.
Another section of the exhibit explores the electronic, hands-on aspect of the Op Art movement. Here, visitors can adjust the colors that appear in one of the works, look through wavy lenses at distorted backgrounds and view a swaying water-like motorized piece.
The exhibition does a great job displaying the diversity and cultural impact of the Op Art movement, however, viewing these pieces will make some viewers ready to fall over. Considering making people trip was the goal of this psychedelic art movement, “Optic Nerve” is a resounding and dizzying success.
Jim Baird can be reached at [email protected].