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Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

OP ART STYLE

The Op art movement emerged in the 1960s, mirroring the counterculture of the time in its embrace of visual trickery, graphic shapes and bright colors.

Spreading across Europe and the Americas, the style — whose name is short for “optical art” — influenced advertising, fashion and interior design before fading in the early ’70s.

Op art remained significant, however, for artists and scientists interested in the nature of perception. And today, it’s seeing a resurgence of interest from collectors and interior designers.

Op artists played with the principles of perception, manipulating line, shape, patterns and color to create the illusion of depth and movement. They drew on and evolved methods developed by past movements, from Impressionism to Abstract Expressionism, to produce intense visual experiences.

All the Op artists shared a focus on the gap between what is and what we perceive. Each, however, had a distinct approach to the issue and a unique visual style.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Op art that includes works by Josef Albers, Bridget Riley, Jesús Rafael Soto and more.

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Style: Op Art
Owl, Circa 1970 - Op Art-Inspired Geometric Composition
Located in Firenze, IT
Owl, Circa 1970 - Op Art-Inspired Geometric Composition Date: Approximately 1970 Medium: Gouache on cardboard with embossed stamp Dimensions: H 64 cm x W 49 cm approx. A stylized o...
Category

Late 20th Century Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Gouache, Illustration Board, Cardboard

Near and Far Acuity, Signed Mid Century Modern Op Art painting, historic exhibit
Located in New York, NY
Richard Anuszkiewicz Near and Far Acuity, 1957 Gouache and watercolor painting on board Hand signed and dated 1957 by Richard Anuszkiewicz on the right front Frame included Anuszkie...
Category

Mid-20th Century Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Mixed Media, Watercolor, Gouache

Oscar Reutersvard Original Op Art Pen, Ink Watercolor Drawing C.1990
Located in San Francisco, CA
Oscar Reutersvard Original Op Art Pen, Ink & Watercolor Drawing C.1990 Dimensions 8" wide x 11" high Housed in a simple frame - Dimensions 15" wide...
Category

Late 20th Century Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Watercolor

Untitled VI, OP Art Geometric Abstract Acrylic Painting on Paper by David Roth
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: David Roth, American (1942 - ) Title: Untitled VI Year: 1974 Medium: Acrylic Painting on Arches Paper, signed and dated Image Size: 15.5 x 45.5 inches Size: 22.5 in. x 53.5 i...
Category

1970s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Acrylic

Brutalist Op Art Abstract Charcoal Drawing by Dordevic Miodrag
Located in Atlanta, GA
Serbian artist Dordevic (or Djordjevic) Miodrag (1936 -), known as "Miodrag," designed this stunning abstract drawing. This work is a charcoal on paper depicting a brutalist abstract...
Category

1960s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal

Geometric Color Grid - Op Art Composition
Located in Soquel, CA
Highly precise op-art composition by an unknown artist. A grid of colored squares has been created with various colors, divided by occasional diagonal lines that give the feel of ove...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Untitled V, Op Art Abstract Geometric Pencil Drawing David Roth
Located in Long Island City, NY
This colored pencil drawing was created by American artist David Roth. Roth's images are proportioned according to a strict mathematical formula - the pictures are composed according...
Category

1970s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Color Pencil

Oscillation
Located in Fairlawn, OH
11 color screen print Signed, dated, titled and numberedin pencil Edition: 150 (9/150) Provenance: Estate of the Artist By Decent
Category

1980s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Screen

Untitled
By John Kalymnios
Located in White Plains, NY
'Untitled' by John Kalymnios, 1999. Pantone ink on paper, 78.5 x 51.25 in. (framed). This geometric op art drawing features bands of concentric circles with the full spectrum colors ...
Category

1990s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Related Items
My 80 s Heart "Token 7" 2019, gouache, acrylic, graphite, panel, blue, orange
Located in Jersey City, NJ
My 80's Heart "Token 7" 2019, gouache, acrylic, graphite, panel, blue, wood, orange
Category

2010s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Acrylic, Gouache, Panel, Wood Panel, Illustration Board, Graphite

1950s "Abstract #4" Ink and Gouache Painting Univ of Paris
Located in Arp, TX
Donald Stacy "Abstract #4" c.1950s Ink & Gouache on paper 10.5x19.5" brown, ripple, wood frame 11.5”x1”x20.75” Signed in pencil lower right with label on reverse Came from artist's e...
Category

Early 20th Century Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Gouache

1967 "Abstract 4 Pink, Blue and Yellow" Mid Century Watercolor Abstract
Located in Arp, TX
Michael Knigin Abstract 4 Pink, Blue and Yellow 1967 Ink brush and watercolor on paper 8.25"x11" unframed $675 Signed and dated in ink lower right Came from artist's estate *Custom f...
Category

Mid-20th Century Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Watercolor

Italian Abstract Work on Paper Color Field Non-Objective European Mid-Century
Located in New York, NY
Italian Modern Abstract Work on Paper Color Field Non-Objective European Mid-Century - "Gonage" Dorazio completed "Gonage" in 1949 when just after the artist had been awarded a stipend by the French government and admission to the Academy Beaux Arts. There he met George Braque who became great friends but also an influence on Dorazio, of which "Gonage" is a living testament. "Gonage" actual size of the drawing measures 12 x 9 1/2 inches. It is signed on the lower right. The work is affixed to a 19 x 15 inch board which includes the artist's signature and date. There is a torn table on the lower left entitling the piece "Gonage". Provenance follows this piece as a gift in 1950 to the artist-colleague Luigi Lucioni, who then gifted it in 1955 to his friend, the uncle of the current owner who has owned the work since 1988. Bio Born in Italy, Piero Dorazio studied architecture in Rome. At the same time his first abstract works were executed. In 1947 he received a scholarship from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts in Paris, where he contacted Modern artists, who lived in Paris. He founded the galleries "Age d'Or" in Florence and Rome to represent avant-garde arts in Italy. During a one year stay in the USA he got acquainted with leading artists of Abstract Expressionism such as Marc Rothko...
Category

1940s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Gouache, Board

EXPLOSION OF FLOWERS - Watercolor on paper signed Gibor, Italy 1970
Located in Napoli, IT
Watercolor on brightly colored paper, signed Gibor, with wooden frame mis.cm.h.65x56
Category

1970s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Bobine
Located in Palm Desert, CA
"Bobine" is a gouache and ink on paper by Alexander Calder. The work is signed in the lower right "Calder 72". A12922 Although renowned for his innovative and groundbreaking sculptures, Alexander Calder started his artistic career as an abstract painter, preferring to use gouache. What is gouache? Gouache is a water-soluble paint – a type of opaque watercolor. As Calder returned to gouache painting towards the end of his life, he was now armed with a lifetime of experience as a sculptor. He explored the three-dimensional vocabulary of sculptural forms he had developed onto the two-dimensional surface of the paper. Certain shapes and colors recur throughout his gouaches and sculptures. Circles, ovals, and other geometric forms dominate the space. There is the same sense of energy and fluidity. The shapes do not sit on the surface but vibrate giving a feeling of movement in contrast to the static nature of painting. Like his sculpture, Calder’s gouache...
Category

1970s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Gouache

Bobine
Bobine
$180,000
H 29.5 in W 43.25 in
Landscape, Original Black Drawing on Paper , Made in Italy By Marilina Marchica
Located in Agrigento, AG
Landscape BW Original Drawing Mineral Oxide on Fabriano Paper 50x70 cm 2024 hand-made drawing one of a kind not reproducible CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY Framing options available
Category

2010s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

Bold Abstract and Figurative Composition in Blue and red Acrylic on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
Bold Abstract and Figurative Composition in Blue and red Acrylic on Paper Bright and colorful abstracted figural painting by California-based artist, Ricardo de Silva (American/Bra...
Category

1980s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Acrylic, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Untitled II
Located in London, GB
'Untitled II' abstract composition, mixed media on soft board, Japanese ink, oil, pencil and gouache by Erez Yardeni (2018). There is so much energy in th...
Category

2010s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Oil, Gouache, Board, Pencil

Untitled II
Untitled II
$2,747 Sale Price
50% Off
H 12.21 in W 15.95 in
Untitled
Located in London, GB
'Untitled' abstract composition, mixed media on soft board, Japanese ink, oil, pencil and gouache by Erez Yardeni (2018). Beautifully balanced, stunningly...
Category

2010s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Oil, Gouache, Board, Pencil

Untitled
Untitled
$4,395 Sale Price
20% Off
H 11.82 in W 20.48 in
1950s "Red Sun" Mid Century Abstract Art Students League NYC
Located in Arp, TX
Donald Stacy "Red Sun" c.1950s Gouache and oil pastel on paper 13.75" x 17" unframed Unsigned Came from artist's estate *Custom framing available for additional charge. Please expect framing time between 3-5 weeks. Donald Stacy (1925-2008) New Jersey Studied: Newark School of Fine Art The Art Students League...
Category

Mid-20th Century Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Oil Pastel, Gouache

1950s "Sitting in Chair" Mid Century Figurative Pratt Graphic Arts Center
Located in Arp, TX
Donald Stacy "Sitting in Chair" c.1950s Gouache and oil pastel on paper 24" x 18" unframed Came from artist's estate *Custom framing available for additio...
Category

Mid-20th Century Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Oil Pastel, Gouache

Previously Available Items
Agam Original Marker Drawing Colorful Spirals Hand Signed Israeli Kinetic Op Art
Located in Surfside, FL
Yaacov Agam, Israeli (b. 1928) Hand signed and dated This is a great example of bold, graphic, mod design. Along with Reuven Rubin and Menashe Kadishman he is among Israel's best kn...
Category

1990s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Permanent Marker

Geometric Composition (Minimalism, Constructivism)
By Hannes Forster
Located in Kansas City, MO
Hannes Forster Geometric Composition (Minimalism, Constructivism) Medium: Graphite Drawing Unique Year: 1991 Size: 11.7 × 8.2 inches Signed and dated by hand COA Provided Hannes Forster (* 1955 in Tuttlingen ) is a German artist. Forster graduated in 1979 from the College of Arts Berlin , where he was one of Herbert Kaufmann...
Category

1990s Op Art Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Graphite

Op Art abstract drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Op Art abstract drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add abstract drawings and watercolors created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Cheolyu Kim, David Roth, Roy Ahlgren, and John Kalymnios. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Paper and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Op Art abstract drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 11.25 inches across are also available. Prices for abstract drawings and watercolors made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $360 and tops out at $35,000, while the average work sells for $2,000.

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