IMAGE DETAILS

Galerie de la Présidence

Victor Vasarely (Pecs 1908-1997 Paris)
Dallas, 1949
Oil on panel
128 x 81 cm
Signed lower right
Titled, measured and dated on the reverse
Certificate of Pierre Vasarely
Provenance: private collection, Switzerland

This painting by Victor Vasarely comes from a Swiss collection and has never been presented on the market. Very graphic and large in scale, it reads like a wall sculpture. This 1949 work, part of the 'Gordes' or 'Cristal' period, is a purely abstract composition inspired by geometric abstraction. Wishing to celebrate "the triumph of pure composition", the artist presents us with an assemblage of pure forms juxtaposed in contrasting patches. The dialogue between background and form, the rhythm, the sharp cuts and the shift between planes activate the illusion of depth and relief. A rare work, it was produced during the period of research that would lead Vasarely to kinetic art. Kinetic art came to the fore in 1955 with the exhibition 'Le Mouvement' at the Denise René gallery, which brought together Vasarely, Duchamp, Calder, Tinguely, Bury, Agam and others.