BRIDGET RILEY:PAINTINGS 1963-2015

"I had to work through the black-and-white paintings before I could even begin to think about the possibilities of colour" (Bridget Riley, 2009)
During her career of over 60 years, Bridget Riley has used painting to investigate the nature of perception and the act of looking. Riley's work is strongly influenced by the experience of light and shade present in the natural world, as well as the history and traditions of painting itself.
This display features a carefully selected group of painting made between 1963 and 2015. Together they highlight the important relationship between black-and-white and colour in Riley's work.
During the early to mid-1960s, Riley used elementary, geometric shapes and black-and-white paint to produce paintings that provoke powerful physical sensations. In 1967, Riley began to use grey, and shortly after this, she introduced colour into her work. For the succeeding decades, Riley employed a rich array of colour as she continued to explore perception and sensation through several influential series of paintings.
In 2014, Riley once again began to make black-and-white paintings. However, rather than reworking ideas from the 1960s, these more recent works-such as Clair Obsur, 2015, on display here- function in a different way. Through an arrangement of more open triangular forms, this painting invites contemplation, and a slower pace of looking.
Until 17 April 2017
National Gallery of Scotland
Edinburgh

Vespertino 1988

Après Midi 1981

Over 1966

Static4 1966

Clair Obscur 2015

Thrust1 1970

Rattle 1973

Dilated Centres 1963