We used some of the leading names in the Op Art movement - 'Riley' after British artist Bridget Riley; 'Vasarely' after Hugarian/French artist Victor Vasarely; 'Le Parc' after Argentinian artist Julio Le Parc; and 'Soto' after Venezulean artist Jesus Rafael Soto, for our first Geometric collection of Cubi ring boxes. Although our ring boxes do not have any kinetic qualities, disorienting effects, or optical illusions that some of the Op Art paintings have, the vibrant, colourful, concentric, circular, square, and triangular patterns that the layers of plywood intermixed with coloured veneers make when arranged together in different configurations, do share fundamental similarities reminiscent of the ordered style of abstract art from this influential 1960s movement. Below is our range of geometric wooden ring boxes, suitable as an engagement ring box, wedding day ring box or a box for a special occasion such as a birthday or Christmas present.
Below are some of the wonderful paintings produced by these influential modern artists. Clockwise from left: Riley (on display in the Kunstmuseum), Vasarely, Le Parc, Soto x 2 and Vasarely again.
The Twentieth Century was a very exciting time for the development of experimental art, design, architecture, and fashion, with groups of like-minded students and teachers coming together all over Europe and beyond. Some of these artists and designers became highly influential across the globe, developing new ideas and producing iconic examples of art and design that still inspire students and professionals today. Movements such as Arts and Craft, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Bauhaus, Wiener Werkstätte, and De Stijl pioneered change in the way people lived, reevaluating architecture, transport, furniture, jewellery, fashion, and textiles. It was interesting to see some examples of early Rietveld chairs and the development of modern furniture and building aesthetics in the Netherlands. Viewing the development of such influential Dutch furniture in its county of origin felt more authentic to seeing examples in other European museums. I thought of all the A' level Design and Technology lessons I have taught in the past and realised that may appreciation for this time in design history has remained as strong as ever. Below are some of our favourite photos taken during our visit to the Kuntsmuseum Twentieth Century art and design galleries.
Art and design have always been very closely linked and graphic art merges the two together. Coming from graphic art, teaching, jewellery design, and furniture backgrounds we have always admired uniformity and order in design. The development of Op Art from the principles of constructivism, abstract expressionism, and the Bauhaus movement was really interesting to read all about during our cultural week in the Netherlands.
The 1960s must have been an extremely exciting time to be working in any of the creative industries, especially in 'swinging' London. The cultural influences, including music and fashion, on the arts at this time, was huge. With new materials being developed and lifestyle expectations changing, Op Art peaked. The monotone geometric patterns in Bridget Riley's early work and Mary Quant's black and white chequered dresses link art and fashion clearly together at this vibrant time.
The Kunstmuseum had such a great collection of Twentieth Century art and design. We particularly enjoyed looking at the work of Dutch artist Piet Mondrian and fellow De Stijl furniture designer and architect Gerrit Rietveld (1888-1964) whose Red and Blue Chair, designed between 1918-23, has become one of the most iconic pieces of modern furniture.
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