Jean-Pierre Yvaral

French, 1934-2002

Acceleration #15, Series B

Jean-Pierre Yvaral (French, 1934–2002). Acceleration #15, Series B, 1962. Vinyl cords and painted wood, 24 1/2 x 23 1/2 x 3 1/4 inches (62.2 x 59.7 x 8.3 cm). Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York; Gift of Seymour H. Knox, Jr., 1963 (K1963:19). © Estate of Jean-Pierre Yvaral / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris. 

© Estate of Jean-Pierre Yvaral / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.

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© Estate of Jean-Pierre Yvaral / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.

Acceleration #15, Series B, 1962

Artwork Details

Materials

vinyl cords and painted wood

Measurements

overall: 24 1/2 x 23 1/2 x 3 1/4 inches (62.23 x 59.69 x 8.26 cm)

Collection Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Credit

Gift of Seymour H. Knox, Jr., 1963

Accession ID

K1963:19

During the mid-1950s, Jean-Pierre Vasarely, who worked under the name Yvaral, began to experiment with the illusion of warping patterns. Unlike his father, the Op artist Victor Vasarely, Yvaral extended his practice into the realm of sculpture, creating works in which simple visual motifs are only activated by the viewer’s perception. In Acceleration #15, Series B, he suspended vinyl cords in front of a black and white striped background, and the kinetic relief may appear to vibrate or shimmer. This unexpected result is referred to as a “moiré effect,” which occurs when one repetitive design is superimposed over another to create an altogether new image. In 1960, Yvaral cofounded the Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel (GRAV) with Julio Le Parc, Francesco Sobrino, Jesús Rafaël Soto, Horacio Garcia Rossi, François Morellet, and Joël Stein (French, 1926–2012).

Label from Giant Steps: Artists and the 1960s, June 30–December 30, 2018