Ludwig Wilding (sitting) with Ingeborg, his wife, standing
next to him, at a recent museum show in Lodz, Poland.
Courtesy of the artist and NAB Gallery, Chicago.

PSR 28/90, 1981. Photo: Amy Rudberg. Permission: NAB Gallery, Chicago.

Stereoscopics, a selection of Ludwig Wilding’s retrospective show at the Museum of Concrete Art, Ingolstadt, Germany, is being shown at NAB Gallery in Chicago through February 2, 2008. His last large exhibition in the Chicago area was at the Gilman Gallery in 1981. Known for his moiré illustrations, geometric creations, and “stereoscopic” images, Wilding introduces the viewer to a compelling series of 3-D “optical illusions,” using black-and-white lines in grid arrangements viewed through plexiglass. He also presents a series of detailed geometric graphic illustrations. The viewer is totally engaged in “creating” the “3-D” art with Wilding, as the art changes depending on where the viewer stands. From various angles, grids seemingly turn into familiar objects such as kaleidoscopes, spinning wheels, subway tunnels, Japanese shoji doors, and city towers.
Read more »

Technorati Tags: Ludwig Wilding, Chicago, moiré, stereoscopic, optical illusions

Luis F. Romero was born in Mexico, grew up in Puerto Rico, and is currently living in Chicago. He attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has since shown his work internationally. Using his own paper-and-found-object architectural design, Romero builds multi-layered collages, swirling 3-D structures, and op art creations.

Courtesy of the artist

Read more »

Technorati Tags: found-object, architectural design, layered collages, 3-D structures, op art creations

Steven Husby, designer and painter, uses Photoshop in his design process and then paints hard-edged images using acrylic on panel, creating abstract compositional permutations with a 3-D sensibility by applying gradations of color. The resulting “new media” optical art is both playful and visually appealing.

ArtStyle: How do you create your compositions?

Steven Husby (SH): I compose most of my work beforehand on the computer using Photoshop, starting with simple gradations of 4 to 12 colors. I stretch, distort, copy and paste the initial gradient into simple patterns that make up the virtual first stage of the work. Sometimes I make paintings from these initial solutions. But more often than not I keep going — cutting and pasting biomorphic fragments of the initial pattern back onto itself. No matter how complicated and obscure the work gets, it’s always held together by the initial pattern. From a practical standpoint, the key to my drawing process is trial and error and working in layers.

Courtesy of the artist

Read more »