Artist Bio – Victor Vasarely

The Birth of Op Art

Well now, let me tell y’all ’bout a fella named Victor Vasarely, a Hungarian-born French artist who’s got himself quite the reputation in the world of Op-art, y’know, that art that messes with your mind and makes it look like it’s movin’ or shiftin’ in all sorts of ways. Born in Pécs, Hungary, Victor started off down a different path, actually studyin’ medicine at Budapest University in 1925. But, bless his heart, he decided that wasn’t for him and turned his attention to the world of traditional art. He found his way to the Podolini-Volkmann Academy, where he learned the ropes of academic painting, and by 1928, he’d set his sights on Sándor Bortnyik’s workshop, a place in Budapest well-known for its Bauhaus influence, especially in graphic art and design.

Now, by the 1930s, ol’ Victor was workin’ as a graphic designer and poster artist, mixin’ together patterns and organic shapes, creatin’ some mighty fine work. Eventually, he packed his bags and headed to Paris in 1930, where he worked as a graphic artist and even lent a hand to advertising agencies. It wasn’t long before he started to focus his efforts on creating art and sculptures based on optical illusions—yessir, the kind that really messes with your eyes. Over the next three decades, Victor honed his craft, workin’ with all sorts of materials, but stickin’ to a few simple shapes and colors to get his point across.

Now, let me tell ya somethin’, folks. On June 5th, 1970, Victor opened his very first museum, and it was a sight to behold. This museum, with over 500 works, was housed in a grand ol’ Renaissance palace in Gordes, though it closed up shop in 1996. But that wasn’t all. He went on to found the Vasarely Foundation in Aix-en-Provence, which was housed in a specially designed building, courtesy of the man himself. Why, even the French President, Georges Pompidou, was there to open it up in 1976! And speaking of that year, ol’ Victor installed one of his large kinetic pieces—“Georges Pompidou”—at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, too. His birth town of Pécs, Hungary, wasn’t left out either, with its own Vasarely Museum, thanks to a generous donation of works from the artist.

But it don’t stop there, no sir. In 1982, Victor’s work made its way into space, of all places! A cosmonaut named Jean-Loup Chrétien took 154 of his serigraphs up on the French-Soviet spacecraft Salyut 7, and after that, they were sold off to benefit UNESCO. Talk about reaching for the stars, huh? In 1987, another museum opened in Hungary, this one in Zichy Palace in Budapest, with over 400 of his works on display.

Sadly, our dear Victor passed away at the age of 90 on March 15, 1997, in Paris. But let me tell ya, the mark he left on the world of art is one that’s still felt today. He sure did change the way folks see the world, and we’re all better for it.