Bridget Riley’s Zig / Rhomboid series represents a significant evolution in her approach to optical art, introducing the rhomboid shape into her visual language. Building on her earlier Stripes compositions, this series adds diagonal angles and new geometric relationships that enhance the dynamism of each piece. The rhomboid shape breaks up the linear repetition of stripes, creating a more complex and layered experience for the viewer. By interweaving these shapes in various orientations, Riley generates a lively interplay of direction and movement that engages the eye, making the compositions feel simultaneously structured and spontaneous.

In this series, Riley uses a vivid color palette to accentuate the optical effects created by the zigzagging shapes. Bold colors like yellow, pink, blue, and green contrast with stark black and white, intensifying the illusion of depth and motion. The rhythmic arrangement of colors within each rhomboid shape produces an almost vibrating effect, as the eye is drawn along the angled lines in a zigzagging motion across the canvas. These color relationships create dynamic visual tension, where certain colors seem to advance while others recede, adding to the series' three-dimensional quality. The result is an engaging optical experience that feels immersive and expansive.

The Zig / Rhomboid series highlights Riley’s ongoing commitment to exploring perception through geometric abstraction, pushing the boundaries of how shapes and colors can interact on a two-dimensional surface. Each piece encourages viewers to lose themselves in the complex networks of shapes, colors, and movement, inviting a prolonged and active engagement with the work. This series exemplifies Riley’s skill in transforming simple forms into intricate compositions that challenge and expand the viewer’s understanding of visual space. By introducing the rhomboid, Riley created a new layer of visual complexity that redefined her approach to optical art and expanded the possibilities of geometric abstraction.