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This is a portion of a ginormous op art work I saw at SEATAC airport. It is by artist and art historian Francis Celentano, a University of Washington professor emeritus, and a very active artist, now 80. His work, along with other artists' who explored the op art genre of abstraction, has been influential in the work of several quilt and textile artists I admire. I've even noticed some fabric manufacturers creating fabric colorways that mimic the airbrushed gradations of color Celentano uses for his stripes to achieve optical effects like this. He works like a quilt artist, assembling a new whole out of precisely cut and reassembled pieces. This work is acrylic on masonite strips, and this is just a straight ahead detail of the very long and tall work, Spectrum Delta II, which I believe dates from the mid 70s. Lately he has produced amazing curving striped abstracts that were exhibited at the Laura Russo Gallery in Portland last summer. I dare you to try and follow one stripe with your eye from top to bottom or bottom to top. :-)
6 comments:
Love it! Such an interesting post, thanks for sharing.
Hi, Kim! I'm not a big fan of this kind of art, but I do appreciate the work that goes into it.
Well this woke me right up! Wow!!!Now my eyes are crossed!
V
My goodness, you got my attention! I tried following one stripe from top to bottom and fear it might be instant migraine. I find the art work fascinating but wouldn't want it. Colours are extraordinary and that much of it is airbrushed is so interesting. I love to hear of artists still working at 80.
I tried it... Amazing!!!
Boy, I'm glad I don't drink! Looking at that will make you dizzy.
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