Focusing on the kinetic energy of color, Carlos Cruz-Diez was a major figure in the Op Art movement.
After travelling to Paris, he opened a studio in Caracas and began to investigate kinetic and optical forms of art. Cruz-Diez’s work is based on the Moiré effect, in which lines of contrasting color give the impression of movement. He taught kinetic technique at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts for a while, and later became the director of art at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Caracas. In 1997, his home city honored the artist when they opened the Carlos Cruz-Diez Print and Design Museum. France awarded him the Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres medal in 2002. The artworks crafted by Carlos Cruz-Diez encourage an alternative form of engagement, inviting viewers to unearth their innate ability to manipulate and deconstruct color through their personal perceptual faculties.