The art style that features optical illusions and repetitive patterns is Op art, short for optical art. It uses carefully arranged lines, grids, shapes, colors, and contrasts to make flat images appear to move, vibrate, swell, warp, or flicker.
Op art developed from earlier experiments in abstraction and visual perception, but it became especially prominent during the 1960s. Artists explored how the eye and brain interpret figure-ground relationships, repetition, proximity, and contrasting tones. Black-and-white compositions are particularly associated with the movement because sharp contrasts can intensify apparent motion and instability.
Bridget Riley became one of Op art’s best-known figures. Her paintings often use repeated lines or geometric forms whose gradual changes create waves, ripples, or directional movement without depicting a conventional subject. Victor Vasarely was another important pioneer, developing systematic geometric images that helped shape the movement’s visual language.
Op art is sometimes confused with Kinetic art, but the distinction is useful: Op art creates the impression of movement through visual effects, while Kinetic art normally involves actual physical movement. It also differs from trompe-l’œil, which typically creates a convincing illusion of three-dimensional objects.