Screenprint, 1971
Signed Print Edition of 150
H 60cm x W 45cm
Print For Chicago 8 is a signed screen print produced by Op artist Bridget Riley in 1971. The print depicts a composition of successive vertical stripes. Riley renders the stripes using a careful selection of bright colours which results in a distinct and optically vibrant print. Pink, orange, turquoise and white are used in this print which makes this work contrast with Riley’s earlier pieces which privilege a limited colour palette of black and white.
The print belongs to the Stripes collection which captures Riley’s interest in opticality. The collection is composed of prints which depict geometric patterns of vertical, horizontal or diagonal stripes. Riley started the Stripes collection in 1971 and Print For Chicago 8 was one of the first works that Riley created in this series. The simple patterns in these prints echo Riley’s philosophy that complexity lurks beneath the surface of simplicity. The print encourages the viewer to pay close attention to what they are looking at in order to find a deeper significance in the work.
Riley rose to fame in the 1960s with her captivating black and white paintings. The artist started to experiment with colour in 1967 and Print For Chicago 8 reflects the artist’s keen interest in how colour can expand the perceptual and optical possibilities of a composition.