Bridget Riley Unveils Her First Ceiling Painting
On view at the British School at Rome.
At 91, Bridget Riley continues to create with the same drive that first led her to create hypnotizing artwork back in the 1960s. As one of the pioneers of the Op Art movement, the British artist has continually reshaped our perception of the world through paintings, drawings and installations over the course of the past 60 years. Showing no signs of slowing down, Riley can add another first in her career as she just unveiled a ceiling painting at the British School at Rome.
Entitled Verve, the artwork is a somewhat departure from her usual work, which oscillates between the rhythmic and the geometric. But by working with the institution’s architecture, Riley achieves a similar harmony through a series of orderly beams of color, from a dominant sky blue and lilac, to smaller complementary columns of amber, burnt orange, teal and black.
Described by the artist as an “exhilarating visual chase”, the color palette Riley chose is notably inspired by her visit to the Egyptian tombs in 1979. “In each and every usage these colors appeared different but at the same time they united the appearance of the entire culture,” Riley noted in an interview with Artnet News.
For those looking to see the artwork, the ceiling pianting will only be open by appointment once per month, beginning on May 25.
Also on the topic of Italy, a voluptuous mermaid statue has caused a stir in Puglia.
The British School at Rome
Via Antonio Gramsci, 61
00197 Roma RM, Italy
