Near Speedway: Victor Vasarely and "Muse"

After swimming for an hour at the Natatorium, I went to Punch Burgers 

for lunch. I've never been there during a noon rush before

and it was nice to sit in a little nook to watch the customers' comings

and goings. As I sat there, savoring my turkey burger, Asian

cole slaw, and a glass of sweet red wine, I contemplated my muse.

Briefly, I looked up and noticed the circular motif in the

Plexiglas partition, the soft diffused light behind the pattern

spread, adding depth and variation to the circles.

Of course, it reminded me of the work of Victor Vasarely.

Sometimes called the "Father of Op-Art"

Vasarely's work over the years produced numerous

paintings dealing with the effects of color - how they relate

and interact with each other. Initially, Vasarely began his studies

to become a physician, but made a radical decision to instead

to become an artist. His scientific training contributed to 

the artist's methodology and discipline as, over the years, 

Vasarely conceived and developed the hard edge paintings 

for which he became famous.

Working with color, watching the way different shades 

can affect and change the whole character of a composition,

is both joyous and daunting. I wondered about Vasarely's 

excitement when, in the middle of making a painting, the rush

of insight for variations to his initial idea suddenly

made themselves known to him. How fast did his mind work?

How many was he able to retain? 

And my muse - how did he fit into my lunchtime reverie

about an Op Art master? Well, the warmth spreading from the

brightest part of the picture made me think about 

the kindness of the man, whose warmth and humor are

not very well hidden behind his dark clothes

or the quirky exterior he sometimes affects.

Muse

I saw you today

And felt my heart

take flight.

Sparks of joyous light

Lit up the spot

Where you stood -

"He's here!" and my work

became a quiet song.

The sound of my computer,

clicking as I worked,

added syncopation to my happy dance

and eased my day along.