Venezuelan Op and kinetic painter and sculptor Jesús Rafael Soto (1923–2007) is perhaps best known for his immersive installations, which respond to their environments and physically absorb the viewer in a dynamic sensory experience.
The exploration of space is central to Soto’s work. This is evident in his early paintings, of the 1950s, which create the illusion of movement through simple compositions and a limited palette. During the same period, he integrated industrial materials like nylon and steel into linear constructions that were part painting, part sculpture.
But Rafael Soto’s grandest and most enigmatic creations are his “Pénétrables.” Made up of thousands of long clear or colored plastic strands suspended from the ceiling or from free-standing steel or PVC frames, these geometric sculptures play with the perception of space, inviting viewers to act as participants by moving within and through them.
The strips of some of the installations were partly painted, forming shapes when seen from a distance. The Houston Penetrable (2014), at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, for instance, appears to hold a floating yellow ellipse.
Rafael Soto created 25 “Pénétrables” over the course of his career. Each further blurred the line between reality and illusion and established viewers as not just spectators but as integral parts of the artwork itself.
Shop Jesús Rafael Soto's art now at 1stDibs.
Quadrato
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Jesus Rafael Soto (1923-2005) Quadrato 1974 Editions Denise Rene 46 of 75 Acrylic/aluminum with painted metal rods 17,5 x 15,7 x 12,5 in Signed and dated Provenance: Editions Galeri...
Metal
Mirroire d'Artiste
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Long Island City, NY
Miroir d’Artistes by Jesus Rafael Soto, Venezuelan (1923–2005) Date: 2005 Screenprint on Plexiglas and Mirror, signed and numbered, verso Edition of 99 Size: 19.75 in. x 19.75 in. x ...
Metal
La Escalera Azul, de la serie Sintesis
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
La Escalera Azul, de la serie Sintesis 1979 Plexiglas and metal Ed 37 of 110 20 x 14 x 5 in Literature: Museo Guggenheim Bilbao. “Soto. The Fourth dimension”. Catalogue published on...
Metal
Vibrations Metalliques
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Jesus Rafael Soto (June 5, 1923 - January 14, 2005, Venezuelan) Vibrations Metalliques 1969 painted metal with metal rod with nylon string 10 3/4 x 11 3/4 x 5...
Metal
Hannover
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Jesus Rafael Soto "Hannover" 1970 Color silkscreen on transparent plexiglass panel, metal rods on nylon threads. It has the original box. 7 x 21 x 5 in Ed. 170 of 200 Provenance: Va...
Metal
Jai Alai Suite
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
JESUS RAFAEL SOTO Jai-Alai Suite: Multiple I, 1969 Plexiglass in white, blue, yellow, screen-print in black, nylon thread and steel. 25 1/8 x 21 1/2 x 7 3/4 in Ed. 15 / 300 Provenan...
Steel
$14,625
MIROIRS D'ARTISTE 3D Wall Sculpture, Mirror & Plexiglass, 20th Century
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Aventura, FL
Mirrored glass and silkscreened plexiglass wall sculpture. Incised artist signature and edition on verso. From the EA edition of 20 (there is also the main edition of 99). Artwork...
Mirror, Plexiglass, Screen
Petite Vibration Brique et Noir
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Petite Vibration Brique et Noir (1966) Painted wood with a painted metal rod and nylon thread Edition Galerie Bischofberger, Zurich Ed. 16 / 35 20 x 18 x 18 in Provenance: Galerie Elke Dröscher, Hamburg Galerie Meißner, Hamburg (1976) Private collection, Baden-Württemberg Lempertz Auction. Contemporary Art...
Metal
Anillo Edition Denisse Rene 33 pieces
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Jesús Rafael Soto was a Venezuelan artist known for his kinetic sculptures and large-scale installations. Like Alexander Calder and George Rickey, Soto’s delicate and responsive constructions react to external stimuli and changes in the atmosphere, as seen in his work Penetrable (1990). “Artistic creation is a force which should preferably be directed towards the exploration of space, of the universe, of the infinite realities which surround us, but of which we are hardly conscious,” Soto once mused. Born on June 5, 1923 in Cuidad Bolívar, Venezuela, he studied at the Escuela des artes plásticas in Caracas from 1942–1947 and later served as the director of the Escuela de bellas artes in Maracaibo, Venezuela until his move to Europe in 1950. Settling in Paris, he associated with the Op Art artists Victor Vasarely and Yaacov Agam, as well as members of the ZERO group such as Otto Piene, Jean Tinguely, and Heinz Mack. In 1973, the Museo de arte modern Jesús...
Stainless Steel
Price Upon Request
Vibrations Metalliques - Limited Edition Signed Kinetic Op Art Wall Sculpture
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Palm Desert, CA
‘Vibrations Métalliques’ is a mixed media on aluminum, kinetic work by Venezuelan artist, Jesus Rafael Soto. The artwork is signed verso, “Soto” and is a multiple published by Éditio...
Metal
Trazos Levitantes
By Rafael Barrios
Located in Miami, FL
Rafael Barrios "Trazos Levitantes" 1990 cod# 267 Ed 2 of 3 Lacquered stainless steel 36 x 43 x 10 in Rafael Barrios is a Venezuelan born in 1947 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, US. Having studied Fine Arts in Canada, the United States, and Venezuela, his artistic trajectory dates back to a very early age. Barrios studied drawing and painting at the Museo de Bellas Artes in Caracas, Venezuela, which led him to achieve his first recognition with the award "National Youth Painting" in 1963. Upon completing his basic studies in Venezuela and Canada, he received a scholarship from J. Walter Thompson International to attend the Ontario College of Art in Toronto, Canada, graduating with honors in "Pure Art" and "Communication and Design". He received a scholarship from New York University (US) to attend its Graduate Program for "Fine Arts" and "Monumental Sculpture Techniques". He was granted several national and international awards: "The Sculpture Award", Ernesto Avellán Exhibition; the McLean Foundation Scholarship, the highest award offered by the Ontario College of Art, Canada; the "Excelentísima Diputado Provincial de la Frontera" Decoration, for his Monumental Sculpture titled "Tercer Horizonte", to commemorate 500 years of America's Discovery, in Palos de la Frontera, Huelva, Spain; "Second Prize" at the Sofia Imber Caracas Contemporary Museum's Biennial of Visual Arts, in Venezuela; the "Conferry Award", First Sculpture Biennial, Francisco Narváez...
Stainless Steel
Sold|$2,240
H 24 in W 4.3 in D 4.3 in
Image Magic, Kinetic rotating standing sculpture by Yaacov Agam, 24" high
By Yaacov Agam
Located in New York, NY
Image Magic embodies Yaacov Agam’s revolutionary approach to art as an experience of movement, time, and transformation. Constructed as a tall transparent sculptural column, the work...
PVC, Serigraph, Plexiglass
Levitation III
By Rafael Barrios
Located in PARIS, FR
" Levitation III ", 2019 Edition: 18/20 40 x 19 x 8 cm Rafael Barrios, sculptor, and founder of the Virtualism movement. From the beginning, his work...
Steel
Petite Vibration Brique et Noir
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Petite Vibration Brique et Noir (1966) Painted wood with a painted metal rod and nylon thread Edition Galerie Bischofberger, Zurich Ed. 16 / 35 20 x 18 x 18 in Provenance: Galerie Elke Dröscher, Hamburg Galerie Meißner, Hamburg (1976) Private collection, Baden-Württemberg Lempertz Auction. Contemporary Art...
Metal
5 Blue Boxes Illusion Sculpture
By Sanseviero
Located in Southampton, NY
Sanseviero's metal sculptures fool the eye. His "illusion sculptures" are amazingly only 1/16th of an inch thick and yet they appear to be 3 dimensional boxes with open centers that ...
Metal, Enamel
Kusama Plush Pumpkin (Kusama red & white pumpkin)
By Yayoi Kusama
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Yayoi Kusama Red & White Pumpkin (plush): An iconic, vibrantly colored pop art piece - this Kusama plush pumpkin features the universal polka dot patterns and bold colors for whi...
Nylon
$22,170Sale Price|25% Off
H 19.69 in W 19.69 in D 2.76 in
Vega Mir Op Art Sculpture, Signed Glass and Resin, Edition of 200
By Victor Vasarely
Located in CANNES, FR
Victor VASARELY ( 1906 -1997 ) VEGA MIR Sérigraphie sur verre signée au recto et au verso . Edition sur 200. Extrait de l'album BACH 1973. 50 X 50 X 7cm .
Glass, Mirror, Resin
$10,000Sale Price|33% Off
H 18.13 in W 15.75 in
Image-miroir (Mirror Image), 1965
By Victor Vasarely
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Created in 1965, this sculpture is hand signed by Victor Vasarely (1906 – 1997) in black ink on one of the aluminum panels in the lower right (nearest to the center cross-section); f...
Metal
$22,757
H 31.5 in W 8.27 in D 6.3 in
CARLOS CRUZ-DÍEZ - CROMOVELA 21. Limited edition sculpture. Op Art, Modern
By Carlos Cruz-Diez
Located in Madrid, Madrid
CARLOS CRUZ-DÍEZ - CROMOVELA 21 Date of creation: 2018 Medium: Polychrome ceramic Edition: 20 Size: 80 x 21 x 16 cm Condition: In mint condition This sculpture belongs to one of the...
Ceramic
$2,240Sale Price|20% Off
H 9.26 in W 13.19 in D 2.96 in
Untitled double sided paper polymorph by Yaacov Agam in a plexiglass box
By Yaacov Agam
Located in New York, NY
This is beautiful kinetic work by Yaacov Agam from the 70's. It is a double sided serigraph polymorph based in a plexiglass view box frame, dated 1976 and signed in plate both in Heb...
Paper, Serigraph
$16,000
H 26.5 in W 26.5 in D 2 in
Geometric Composition by Yaacov Agam, framed 26.5X26.5"
By Yaacov Agam
Located in New York, NY
Yaacov Agam — Geometric Composition A vibrant exploration of color, geometry, and visual rhythm, this work by Yaacov Agam transforms a precise grid into a dynamic field of shifting f...
Serigraph, PVC, Mixed Media
$9,600Sale Price|20% Off
H 540 in W 3 in D 3 in
At the End of My Rope by John Garrett, 540 x 3 inch, cotton and polyester thread
By John Garrett
Located in St. Louis, MO
At the End of My Rope by John Garrett, 540 x 3 inch, cotton and polyester thread John Garrett was raised in southern New Mexico by parents who were both educators. They instilled i...
Cotton, Thread, Polyester, Mixed Media
Acid-Wave
By Omar Rayo
Located in New York, NY
Striking 3-dimensional acrylic and wood on canvas sculpture by renowned Colombian painter an sculptor, Omar Rayo. Signed, titled, inscribed "New Yo...
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic
$6,823
H 5.67 in W 24.81 in D 4.97 in
YAACOV AGAM - INFINITY TRANSPARENCY. Limited edition sculpture. Kinetic Op Art
By Yaacov Agam
Located in Madrid, Madrid
YAACOV AGAM - INFINITY TRANSPARENCY Date of creation: 2017 Medium: Colored acrylic panels and wood Edition: 45 Size: 63 x 14,4 x 12,6 cm Condition: In mint conditions Infinity Trans...
Wood, Acrylic Polymer
2 +3 = 4, 1981
By Yaacov Agam
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Yaacov Agam 2 +3 = 4, 1981 offers another excellent example of the artist’s ability to induce the illusion of movement through color and pattern. By combining a multicolor palette wi...
Mixed Media
Vibrations Metalliques
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Jesús Rafael Soto (1923-2005) was a Venezuelan artist and key figure of Kinetic Art and Op Art, best known for his large-scale sculptures. After completing his artistic training at...
Metal
Sold
H 11.8 in W 27.5 in D 5 in
Serie Sintesis, Mixed Media Op Art Sculpture by Jesus Rafael Soto
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Long Island City, NY
Serie Sintesis Jesus Rafael Soto, Venezuelan (1923–2005) Date: 1979 Screenprint on Plexiglass and Metal Rods Edition of 36/110 Size: 11.8 x 27.5 x 5 in. (29.97 x 69.85 x 12.7 cm) Pub...
Metal
Sold
H 19.69 in W 19.69 in D 4.73 in
Jesús-Rafael Soto - Tes Azules Y Negras - Kinetic Sculpture, 1979
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Varese, IT
Jesús-Rafael Soto ( 1923 - 2005 ) - Tes Azules Y Negras - kinetic sculpture, 1979 Additional information: Material: Kinetic sculpture, edited in 1979, made with Screen printing on t...
Metal
Jai Alai Suite Edition 60 of 300
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Jesús Rafael Soto was a Venezuelan artist known for his kinetic sculptures and large-scale installations. Like Alexander Calder and George Rickey, Soto’s delicate and responsive constructions react to external stimuli and changes in the atmosphere, as seen in his work Penetrable (1990). “Artistic creation is a force which should be directed towards the exploration of space, of the universe, of the infinite realities which surround us, but of which we are hardly conscious,” Soto once mused. Born on June 5, 1923 in Cuidad Bolívar, Venezuela, he studied at the Escuela des artes plásticas in Caracas from 1942–1947 and later served as the director of the Escuela de bellas artes in Maracaibo, Venezuela until his move to Europe in 1950. Settling in Paris, he associated with the Op Art artists Victor Vasarely and Yaacov Agam and members of the ZERO group such as Otto Piene, Jean Tinguely, and Heinz Mack. In 1973, the Museo de Arte modern Jesús...
Metal
Objeto Cinetico Arcay
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Jesus Rafael Soto, Venezuelan (1923 - 2005) Title: Objeto Cinetico Arcay Year: 1970 Medium: Acrylic Wall Sculpture, signed and numbered Edition: 2/8 Size: 21.25 x 20.8 x 4.75...
Mixed Media
Biface
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Jesus Rafael Soto Title: Biface Year: 1968-1970 Medium: Mixed Media Kinetic Sculpture, signature, title, and numbering inscribed Edition: 92/200 Size: 12.5 x 10.5 x 9.5 in (...
Mixed Media
Homenaje a Humano from An American Portrait
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Jesus Rafael Soto, Venezuelan (1923 - 2005) Title: Homenaje a Humano from An American Portrait Year: 1976 Medium: Metal and Wood Sculpture, signed and numbered, verso Edi...
Multiple V from Jai Alai
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Jesus Rafael Soto, Venezuelan (1923 - 2005) Title: Multiple V from Jai-Alai Year: 1969 Medium: Painted Wood and Metal Sculpture, signed and numbered on base Edition: 18/3...