Thinking outside the canvas

“I couldn’t get near what I wanted through seeing, recognizing and recreating, so I stood the problem on its head. I started studying squares, rectangles, triangles and the sensations they give rise to.” That is what Riley’s interpretation of op art stands for. Known for her optical illusionist perspective, as Tate suggests, Riley’s works have a disorienting physical effect on the eye. One Small Step from 2009 is one of the profound realizations of this vision, in a 26.6 x 14 cm, to be specific. In her works, endless possibilities of colour combinations usually take place on the most colourful side of the palette to optimize the illusion’s effects. The limitation of a two-dimensional canvas is not an issue for Riley in terms of making paintings move. Every time it’s a delightful and active experiment for the eye.