Igor Vojtela

Igor Vojtela

Igor Vojtela is based in Western Slovakia and has a background in teaching Maths and Physics but now works in the field of computing. He produces most of his Op Art pieces using Xara software, although the initial ideas are often sketched out on paper.

Vi
Igor Vojtela
Digital
Vi Igor Vojtela Digital
Soft Op Art Toroid
Igor Vojtela
Digital
Soft Op Art Toroid Igor Vojtela Digital
3x3
Igor Vojtela
Digital
3×3 Igor Vojtela Digital

“When I was born in the last century in a small town in Western Slovakia, crayons, pencils and brushes had already been invented, but nobody even dreamed of computer graphics.  “Scribbling” on paper or in a notebook has always been my favourite form of relaxation from my early youth right up to the present day. Even during my studies in maths and physics I constantly drew crazy figures or surreal landscapes in my notebooks.”

Red White Black
Igor Vojtela
Digital
Red White Black Igor Vojtela Digital
4x4
Igor Vojtela
Digital
4×4 Igor Vojtela Digital

Did you formally study art?

I neither studied visual arts nor computer graphics – it is purely a hobby. I am originally a maths and physics teacher, although I have been working in the IT sector for quite some time now.

Why Op Art?

For me, OP-ART is a symbiosis of geometry, combinatorial maths and art. By combining simple patterns one can create intensely interesting structures, which often do not have a real meaning as such, but can give rise to a surprising optical sensation.  In a way, it is similar to hand drawn humour (which I love), where by joining several lines or objects a new meaning is created entirely different from the original one.

Honeycomb
Igor Vojtela
Digital
Honeycomb Igor Vojtela Digital
Squares on a Trip
Igor Vojtela
Digital
Squares on a Trip Igor Vojtela Digital
Untitled
Igor Vojtela
Digital
Untitled Igor Vojtela Digital

Any other art you like and other artists that inspire or have inspired you?

The work of great visual artists such as Dalí, Brunovský, Mucha, Escher and Vasarely have undoubtedly had the most influence on my work.

How do you go about creating a piece?

Some pictures begin as sketches on a paper which are later re-created in PC, some are created directly in the computer, most often in XARA.

My pictures are usually made for my friends and acquaintances, but I also do commercial work from time to time. For example, in past I used to illustrate magazines, mathematical books, cartoons and corporate visuals.

Black and White in Colour
Igor Vojtela
Digital
Black and White in Colour Igor Vojtela Digital
Crystalline web (2)
Igor Vojtela
Digital
Crystalline web (2) Igor Vojtela Digital
Hexagonal Vault
Igor Vojtela
Digital
Hexagonal Vault Igor Vojtela Digital

If you’d like to see more of Igor’s work you can do so on his website.

Schneider

Schneider

First update of the New Year is from London based artist Schneider who uses cubes, lines and vivid contrasting colours to “question our perception of space and perspective, producing imagery that echoes the Op Art and Geometric art of the 60s and 70s. “

Curve
Schneider
2011
Acrylic on wood panel
60x60cm
Curve Schneider 2011 Acrylic on wood panel 60x60cm
Shuffle
Schneider
2010
Acrylic on wood panel
60x60cm
Shuffle Schneider 2010 Acrylic on wood panel 60x60cm
Drift 2
Schneider
2011
Acrylic on wood panel
60x60cm
Drift 2 Schneider 2011 Acrylic on wood panel 60x60cm

Did you study art? If so, where?

I’m self-taught

Why do you like Op Art?

Hard to say other than I love pattern, repetition & the concept of lines & colours creating space, depth & movement. I saw a huge Bridget Riley at the Tate Gallery when I was a child and stood in front of it for ages. I get excited about huge blocks of identical high-rise flats for example. Needless to say Manhattan is a source of perpetual wonder.

Unstable Crystal 1
Schneider
2011
Acrylic on wood panel
50x50cm
Unstable Crystal 1 Schneider 2011 Acrylic on wood panel 50x50cm
4 cubes
Schneider
2011
Acrylic on wood panel
50x50cm
4 cubes Schneider 2011 Acrylic on wood panel 50x50cm
Unstable Crystal 3
Schneider
2011
Acrylic on wood panel
50x50cm
Unstable Crystal 3 Schneider 2011 Acrylic on wood panel 50x50cm

How do you make your art?

I use Flash to generate the image and experiment with colours. I save hundreds of the best ideas and keep the ones I like most on my desktop for a while and from these print out the ones that stand the test of time. Something then tells me which ones to paint.

What’s the process for making one of your artworks?

I buy wood panels or get bigger ones made up. I paint them with 4 coats of gesso and sand them down until they are perfectly smooth and then map out the image and paint it. I’m a perfectionist so the work isn’t finished until every edge is perfect. Drives me mad sometimes.

A Simple Cube Of White Light
Schneider
2011
Household emulsion on wood panel
60x60cm
A Simple Cube Of White Light Schneider 2011 Household emulsion on wood panel 60x60cm
Unthinkable Complexity
Schneider
2011
Acrylic on wood panel
50x50cm
Unthinkable Complexity Schneider 2011 Acrylic on wood panel 50x50cm
Wind
Schneider
2011
Household emulsion on canvas
60x60cm
Wind Schneider 2011 Household emulsion on canvas 60x60cm

Any other art you like and other artists that inspire or have inspired you.

The obvious inspirations are early – Bridget Riley & Vasarely, plus I love the primary colours & repetitions of Pop artists like Warhol & Lichtenstein. I have started painting series of the same image in different colours as a result.

Current artists I love include Tauba Auerbach, Aakash Nihalani and James Marshall.

Solid Fluidity 2
Schneider
2011
Acrylic on Wood Panel
30x30cm
Solid Fluidity 2 Schneider 2011 Acrylic on Wood Panel 30x30cm
It Became A Sphere 5
Schneider
2011
Acrylic on Wood Panel
30x30cm
It Became A Sphere 5 Schneider 2011 Acrylic on Wood Panel 30x30cm
Zero Gravity
Schneider
2011
Acrylic on Wood Panel
30x30cm
Zero Gravity Schneider 2011 Acrylic on Wood Panel 30x30cm

If you would like to see more of Schneider’s works, you can do so here.