Untitled (Based On Blaze)
Signed Print

Untitled (Based On Blaze), is formed of a succession of concentric circles, themselves composed of zig-zags, is dizzying. Where the ‘zigs’ of one circle meet the ‘zags’ of the next, chevrons form and the composition appears to rotate in opposing directions. The feelings of movement and dislocation evoked in the viewer are typical of Riley’s works, particularly her monochromatic works of the early 1960s, which propelled Riley to international acclaim following their inclusion in The Responsive Eye, an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York in 1965.

Untitled (Based On Blaze) reflects Riley’s continuing interest in capturing sensations experienced in nature, such as dazzling sunlight. Writing about a childhood memory, Riley recalled: “looking directly into the sun over a foreshore of rocks exposed by the tide - all reduced to a violent black and white contrast.”