Bagatelle 1
Bagatelle 1
Signed Print
Bridget Riley
Screenprint, 2015
Signed Print Edition of 75
H 52cm x W 82cm
Critical Review
This signed, numbered screen print reminds us of Bridget Riley’s long-held position at the forefront of British abstract art. A later example of Riley’s geometric print making produced in 2015, Bagatelle 1 is exemplary of the artist’s rigid, non-representational approach, inspired by the work of the Italian Futurists. Printed on wove paper, this first print in the Bagatelle series depicts a series of hard-edged forms rendered in monochrome. Harnessing the contrast between the white print medium and the negative space it produces, these shapes are subtly deconstructed as the viewer passes their eye over them, birthing a movement that playfully references the erratic, user-generated motions of the French billiards game, bagatelle.
Seemingly simple, these forms elicit the viewer’s regard in order to question the mode of spectatorship required of art. An embodiment of Riley’s artistic philosophy, this optically striking print places construction and deconstruction side-by-side, exhibiting the confidence of their creator who has continued to produce ground-breaking work well into their nineties. ‘No mere bagatelle’, this print presents a playful irony referenced by both its artistic form and title, harking back to the provocative and counter-cultural milieu which first launched Riley’s hugely successful career in the 1960s. A nod to the illusionist sensibilities of that period, it re-establishes Riley as one of the leading proponents of Op Art, alongside Victor Varseley and Richard Anusckiewicz.
