op art

or Op Art

noun

1. a style of abstract art in which lines, forms, and space are organized in such a way as to provide optical illusions of an ambiguous nature, as alternately advancing and receding squares on a flat surface.

op art

/ ɒp /

noun

1. a style of abstract art chiefly concerned with the exploitation of optical effects such as the illusion of movement

Other Words From

• op-art adjective
• op artist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of op art¹

First recorded in 1960–65; op(tical) art

Word History and Origins

Origin of op art¹

C20: op, short for optical

Example Sentences

“I’ve looked at op art, pattern and decoration. I’ve looked at psychedelia, I have taken part in rave culture and queer culture and drag and the whole spectrum,” Gibson said.

From Seattle Times

Symmetry is crucial to Neuman, whose style recalls both 1960s op art and the same decade’s acid-rock graphics, but is more precise and painstaking than either.

From Washington Post

The exhibit was the work of Bridget Riley, a British painter famous for her op art paintings.

From Washington Post

Inspired by midcentury op art, there are retro hues, square and rectangular shapes, and eye-catching optical illusion patterns.

From Washington Times

Hawkinson has turned an absurd action, repeated with variation, into a clunky, weirdly exhilarating piece of op art.

From Los Angeles Times