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Op Art

Cities the world over have mascots that represent them. Students will investigate some of these and create a replica of one out of Model Magic.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Paper
  • Ruler

Steps

  • Step 1

    Op art is a form of geometric abstraction that creates optical illusions by manipulating shapes and colors. The movement emerged in the late 1950s/early 1960s, and some key figures in the movement are Victor Vasarely (1908-1997), Bridget Riley (1931-), and Frank Stella (1936-2024). Have students look at examples of works by some of these artists such as "Blaze" and "Movement in Squares" by Riley, "Vonal Stri" and "Vega 200" by Vasarely, and "Fortín de las Flores" and "Turkish Mambo" by Stella.

  • Step 2

    Have students create an op art work by using a vanishing point: the point at which parallel lines appear to converge. They can begin by drawing a horizon line that represents the viewer's eye level then choose where the vanishing point will be placed. All lines will converge toward this point. Creating a 3D effect can be achieved by using two vanishing points on the horizon line, drawing a vertical line anywhere on the page, and then connecting the line to the two vanishing points. 

  • Step 3

    When their work is finished, have students present it to the class and discuss the techniques they used to achieve the effect.

Standards

ARTS: Speculate about processes an artist uses to create a work of art. 

MATH: Create models that demonstrate math concepts and attend to precision. 

Adaptations

Optical illusions play tricks on our brain to make us see things that aren't really there or that can be perceived differently. Have students investigate the science behind this phenomenon and look at examples of some notable illusions such as the Hermann grid, confetti spheres 5, or curvature blindness to name a few.

M.C. Escher (1898-1972) was a Dutch artist associated with op art, surrealism, and expressionism. With a background in architecture he was known for incorporating mathematics in his drawing and creating "impossible constructions." Have students investigate some of his works.