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Bridget Riley

Art genre: Op art.
Art media: Painting.

Life: The daughter of a businessman, Bridget Riley was born in London in 1931 and spent her childhood in Cornwall and Lincolnshire. She studied at Goldsmiths College and the Royal College of Art. She left college early to care for her sick father. She then worked as an art teacher, and for an advertising agency until 1964. Riley began to produce her distinctive style of work in the late 1950s. She is now one of Britain's best-known artists and has been made a Companion of Honour and Commander of the British Empire.

Work: Riley began painting in a semi-impressionist manner, then became interested in the Neo-Impressionist style of Pointillism. In 1958 she discovered the work of Jackson Pollock and moved to a more abstract style. She began to paint the black and white works using the straight lines, discs and squares for which she is famous. She was fascinated by the way that the eye perceives movement and this is reflected in the geometric shapes that she uses - they often appear to move as you study them. She held her first solo show in London in 1962.She later began to work in colour; a trip to Egypt had stimulated an interest in colourful hieroglyphics. Riley is associated with the Op Art, and her paintings have spawned many imitators in various media such as print and fabric design. She has held many exhibitions and her work was shown at the 1968 Venice Biennial where she won the International Prize for painting.

Find out more:
www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/riley
www.jameshymanfineart.com (good images)  
www.en.wikipedia.org

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