What is... Op(tical) Art?

"Art is artificial - the essence of creativity is to separate from nature, not to combine with it.
This programmatic sentence was postulated by Victor Vasarély, painter, graphic artist and sculptor and one of the most important representatives of "optical art", also known as "Op Art". Its aim was to create surprising or irritating optical effects in the viewer, such as the impression of movement, flicker effects and optical illusions, with the help of precise abstract formal patterns and geometric colour figures, in order to imitate light, air, movement and space.
Although it never became a broad movement within art, it has left clear traces in design and digital art, among others.