Bridget Riley’s Stripes series embodies her exploration of color, repetition, and rhythm, using vertical bands to create visually captivating compositions. In each work, Riley arranges stripes of varying widths in a carefully structured pattern, creating an impression of movement that is almost musical in its rhythm. The juxtaposition of different colors, from vibrant turquoise and yellow to more muted pastel tones, engages the viewer’s eye, drawing it along each stripe and across the entire composition. Through this arrangement, Riley creates a sense of harmony and dynamic balance, even within a static image.

This series showcases Riley’s mastery of color relationships, as each hue interacts with its neighbors to generate subtle optical effects. The contrast between lighter and darker tones, as well as the balance between warm and cool colors, adds depth and energy to the pieces. By varying the width and spacing of each stripe, Riley enhances the sense of movement, making the colors seem to shift and vibrate within the viewer’s gaze. This approach creates a sense of visual tension, as certain colors appear to recede or advance depending on their placement and intensity, challenging the viewer’s perception of space.

Riley’s Stripes series demonstrates her dedication to creating immersive visual experiences that engage viewers on a perceptual level. The simplicity of vertical stripes allows her to focus on the effects of color alone, transforming basic geometric forms into dynamic optical phenomena. Each piece in the series invites prolonged viewing, as the eye continuously discovers new interactions between colors and shapes. Riley’s work in this series is a testament to her skill in crafting art that is deceptively simple yet rich in complexity, capturing the viewer’s attention through the power of color and form.