The Responsive Eye, MoMA

The exhibition by William C. Seitz at The Museum of Modern Art ignited Opto-Kinetic Art and even inspired Vera Molnár shortly after.

This landmark exhibition of Op/Kinetic Art popularized the movements as well as the alliance between science, technology and art. The exhibition showcased some of the most influential artists of the twentieth-century, including Bridget Riley, Josef Albers, Ellsworth Kelly, Frank Stella and Victor Vasarely.

It also featured a large number of the newly dubbed “New Tendencies” movement which included Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel (GRAV). Computer art legend Vera Molnár was a member of GRAV as well as François Morellet. The exhibition emphasized the role of technology and movement in the creation of new forms of artistic expression. By linking Op Art and Kinetic Art together, the exhibition showed that art did not have to be a static image.

The Responsive Eye paved the way for innovative work that incorporated technology and science: namely, computer art and digital generative art. Three years later, Molnár would use a computer to create “Interruptions,” a work with a clear aesthetic nod to "The Responsive Eye.”

Casey Reas mentions The Responsive Eye to Le Random when discussing significant moments in generative art history.