Light of Darkness by Julian Stanczak (1928-2017) is one of his early works emphasizing optical illusion. Considered one of the founders of Op Art (Optical Art), Stanczak’s pieces give the viewer an uncanny feeling of movement. The harsh dichotomy of black and white strips give the impression that the piece is pushing away from the wall, and then moving back to it. Looking at it for a long enough time can almost hypnotize you to feel as though you are moving with the piece.
Op Art refers to the movement where artists began to manipulate elements such as line and color to create optical effects for the viewer. Many times, artists used black and white shapes to juxtapose each other in their works, creating patterns reflecting movement such as rolling, waving, vibrating, and pulsing. This rhythmic notion of Op Art has instilled a powerful obsession and desire to collect pieces like this by Stanczak.