Sunday 7 February 2016

Practice Unit | Michael Kidner

Michael Kidner was hugely influential during the Op Art movement, as well as Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely. They used colour and patterns to create a disorientating and three-dimensional effect for the viewer. 
[left] Vasarely - Unknown [right] Riley - Fission

From studying their work, I've noticed a common similarity - a simplicity of shapes. In both Riley's and Vasarely's work (as well as Kidner's), it is clear that the focus of their work is on the combination of colours and composition, and I believe this to be important when creating optical illusions. 

In my own designs, I want the focus to be on the colour and therefore by removing interfering elements which would distract from the focus, such as complex shapes, I can ensure that my fabrics portray the concept effectively. I've spent a lot of time developing the shapes I want to use in my work and have decided on a limited number, so not to over complicate the designs. 

When referring back to Michael Kidner's paintings, I was particularly drawn to his Wave collection; incorporating stripes and splitting up his patterns is a simple yet effective way to experiment with the composition and play with the audience's eye. 

[left] Butterfly Wings, 1966 [right] Red China, 1966


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