Grade 6 OP ART

Grade 6 learned about Op Art (Optical Art) and the life of Russian artist Victor Vasarely. I started the year out with this unit because I could tie it into Intro to Color, as well as the Elements of Art/Principles of Design: Line, Color, Balance, Space and Pattern. Students had to choose one color scheme (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Complimentary, Warm or Cool), and then incorporate this into their final summative task.

I began by showing Vasarely's work, along with some other Op-Art artists, and a short video so they could get the feel of what Op Art is. We had a class discussion on what makes something "Op-Art" rather than just shapes/patterns, and how could students begin to use their creativity to create their own unique piece. In this unit, we focused on technique and conceptual understanding of Op Art, and how to create an image that could optimize optical illusion. Basically, how to create a 3D illusion on a 2D surface.

I feel like this was a little bit difficult for students to completely wrap their head around, and in retrospect, I wish I would have started out with 2 point perspective as a lead-in to the unit...That being said:

Here are some pieces, some finished and others in progress. I think some of the work is/will be highly successful once they are finished!