Bridget
Riley

Bridget
Riley

British, born in 1931


Bridget Riley creates optical phenomena through geometric compositions with various themes. By exploring the various effects that manage to disorient the gaze of the viewer, she invites spectators to a dynamic approach of her work: the illusory movement of her paintings ensues from the movement of the observer him/herself and shifts to experience the sensation of vibration of the painting.

Riley’s pictorial style was initially rooted in figurative art, borrowing from impressionism then pointillism. When she started exploring the potential of optical phenomena in the 1960s, she joined the Optical Art movement and developed a series of seemingly moving stationary images.

In 1968, Bridget Riley was awarded the Grand Prize at the Venice Biennale. Her works in the Pinault Collection were first shown at the “Prima Materia” (“Raw Material”) exhibition at the Punta della Dogana. The originality of her work earned her several solo shows, including that of The Art Institute of Chicago in 2015.
Bridget Riley's artwork