Arcadia
4 works
Bridget Riley Intervals Set; Blue/Green, Orange/Blue, Green/Purple For Sale
Bridget Riley
Intervals Set; Blue/Green, Orange/Blue, Green/Purple, 2021
Set of three screen prints Signed, dated and numbered in pencil
21 5/8 x 15 in (each) 55 x 38 cm (each)
Edition
Edition of 75
About this work
Bridget Riley’s Intervals Set; Blue/Green, Orange/Blue, Green/Purple (2021) demonstrates her sustained fascination with rhythm, perception, and the dynamic possibilities of color. Created in the final decades of her long career, this series reflects the refinement of an artistic language she had been cultivating since the 1960s, when she emerged as one of the leading figures of Op Art. While her early black-and-white works played with disorienting optical patterns, Riley’s later practice has been deeply invested in the interactions of pure color, exploring how hue, saturation, and sequence alter our experience of space and movement.In this set of three screenprints, Riley employs horizontal bands of alternating colors stacked in repeated intervals. Each composition features five to six blocks, each subdivided into carefully chosen chromatic sequences. The Blue/Green variation balances cool tones with muted earthy accents, producing a harmonious yet vibrating optical effect. Orange/Blue introduces a more energetic contrast, with complementary hues sparking tension and creating a visual flicker between warmth and coolness. Green/Purple offers a subtler but equally compelling dialogue, where closely related hues shift in prominence depending on the viewer’s focus.The repetition of form across the three works underscores Riley’s exploration of visual rhythm. Much like a musical score, these compositions are structured through intervals—measured repetitions that create tempo, variation, and resonance. The viewer’s eye is compelled to move up and down the stacked bands, perceiving differences not just between colors but also in the way color relationships shift across the three prints when seen as a set. This sense of temporal experience—where perception unfolds through time—is central to Riley’s approach.The simplicity of the horizontal format belies the sophistication of the optical effects. Riley’s disciplined use of geometry eliminates distraction, allowing color itself to become the subject. The viewer is made acutely aware of how neighboring hues influence each other: a green appears brighter when placed against purple, a blue deepens when offset by orange. Through these orchestrations, Riley transforms the flat surface into a vibrating, active field.The title Intervals speaks directly to this idea of spacing, timing, and relationality. Just as intervals in music define harmony, dissonance, or rhythm, Riley’s chromatic intervals structure the visual tempo of these works. By presenting the set as a sequence, she extends her inquiry into perception beyond the individual print, inviting the viewer to compare, contrast, and move between them.Created in 2021, these works exemplify Riley’s remarkable consistency and evolution over six decades. They reveal an artist still deeply committed to her exploration of the fundamental principles of seeing. Rather than offering fixed images, Riley provides visual experiences that unfold through time, requiring the active engagement of the viewer.Intervals Set is a testament to Riley’s enduring mastery of color and form. By distilling her visual language to its essentials—horizontal stripes, repeated patterns, and carefully calibrated hues—she creates works that are at once rigorous and sensuous, intellectual and experiential. The set reinforces her place as one of the most important figures in postwar abstraction, an artist whose work continues to expand the possibilities of perception and the language of color.
Price on Application
Auction History
Intervals 3, Blue/Green · Bridget Riley · Christie's · 2025-09 · $11,015
Turquoise, red, blue, yellow with black and white · Bridget Riley · Christie's · 2025-03 · $319,437
Green Dominance (Schubert 22; Tommasini & Gubay 23) · Bridget Riley · Bonhams · 2024-11 · $16,259
Two Blues · Bridget Riley · Christie's · 2024-10 · $16,607
Two Blues (Schubert 52) · Bridget Riley · Bonhams · 2024-09 · $11,306
More from this series
More series by Bridget Riley
About the Intervals Series
Explore Bridget Riley's acclaimed Intervals series, a defining collection that showcases the British Op Art pioneer's mastery of color and geometric precision. Created during a pivotal period in Riley's career, these works demonstrate her signature striped compositions and vibrant color interactions—including the striking Blue/Green, Orange/Blue, and Green/Purple variations alongside Intervals I and II.
Riley's Intervals series represents a significant moment in contemporary art history, where mathematical rhythm meets sensory experience. Each work in this collection exemplifies her innovative approach to optical abstraction, utilizing carefully calibrated hues and linear patterns to create dynamic visual tension. The series has become increasingly sought-after by serious collectors, with works commanding strong market presence at auction and in institutional holdings.
These pieces remain highly relevant to collectors valuing conceptual rigor, material quality, and established provenance. Whether you're expanding a collection of British modernism or seeking iconic Op Art examples, the Intervals series offers exceptional aesthetic and investment potential.
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About Bridget Riley
Bridget Riley
Life and Practice
Bridget Riley (b. 1931, Norwood, London) is one of the foremost figures in twentieth-century abstract painting, internationally celebrated as a pioneer of Op Art. Educated at Goldsmiths College and the Royal College of Art, Riley spent time teaching before dedicating herself fully to painting in the early 1960s. Her early work — strict geometric compositions in black and white that induce powerful perceptual effects of motion, vibration, and depth — established her as a key innovator in art's engagement with visual perception. Movement in Squares (1961) and Fall (1963) are among the most celebrated works of the period, and remain among the defining images of British postwar art.Riley was awarded the International Prize for Painting at the 1968 Venice Biennale, cementing her international reputation. From the late 1960s, she began introducing colour into her work, working first with carefully limited Egyptian palettes and later a full range of hues, exploring stripe-based and diagonal compositions in which colour interaction becomes the primary subject. Her series including Orphean Elegy, The Seasons, and Rajasthan demonstrate the sustained rigour and beauty of this investigation. She continues to work from studios in London and Cornwall.