Robin Hunnam

Robin Hunnam creates both digital and photographic Op Art.  He studied graphic design at Ravensbourne College of Art and Design, went on to work as an art director in a London Advertising Agency and now works a designer and illustrator.

Necker Cube Crosses
Robin Hunnam
2012
Necker Cube Crosses Robin Hunnam 2012
Hollow Tiles Tessellation
Robin Hunnam
2012
Hollow Tiles Tessellation Robin Hunnam 2012
Hollow Necker Cubes
Robin Hunnam
2012
Hollow Necker Cubes Robin Hunnam 2012

The two most important lessons that I learnt during the course were that at its heart, design is really only concerned with problem solving and that a great idea is always better than a great technique.  This realisation was never more important than during my career as an art director in London advertising agencies – places where ideas are the most valuable currency.

Great ideas are about simplicity and about stripping away the unnecessary or the merely decorative. Op Art is a dramatic example of the visual power of simplicity. Some of the most memorable artworks from the movement are even devoid of colour, tone and variety of line and shape.”

Music Stand Robin Hunnam 2012
Music Stand
String Robin Hunnam 2012
String
Striped Mugs Robin Hunnam 2012
Striped Mugs

Robin cites Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely as major influences; it was M. C. Escher however who was the most influential on the development of Robin’s art and design work.

His work has an elegance of idea and execution. When I look through his body of work I see behind it the countless initial ideas, the failures and dead-ends that came before the final piece. By the time that the viewer first sees the completed work, there is a sense that it has always existed. His ability to create a visual magic that is greater than the sum of the visual parts will never fail to inspire me.

Nylon Cord Pattern Robin Hunnam 2012
Nylon Cord Pattern
World of Cardboard Robin Hunnam 2012
World of Cardboard
Pencil Pattern Robin Hunnam 2012
Pencil Pattern

“I strive to make my work look effortless and even obvious – trying to keep it a secret that it took many initial pencil sketches before it even began to take shape on the computer. I work on an Apple iMac and use Adobe CS4 – primarily the Illustrator program. I am most at ease with Illustrator simply because it thinks like I do and it looks kindly on people who can really draw in the old-fashioned way.”

Off Centre Circular Op Art
Robin Hunnam
2012
Off Centre Circular Op Art Robin Hunnam 2012
Radiating Checkerboard
Robin Hunnam
2012
Radiating Checkerboard Robin Hunnam 2012
Hollow Circle
Robin Hunnam
2012
Hollow Circle Robin Hunnam 2012

“I believe it is important to look beyond the narrow confines of western art and design for inspiration in one’s own work and I spend time researching arts and crafts from other times and other cultures including Japan, Polynesia, first nation America, and Africa. It is humbling to realise that artists and craftsmen for millennia have wrestled with and resolved the same visual problems that I try to today.”

Spinning Top
Robin Hunnam
2012
Spinning Top Robin Hunnam 2012
Concentric Squares 2
Robin Hunnam
2012
Concentric Squares 2 Robin Hunnam 2012
Radiating Rings
Robin Hunnam
2012
Radiating Rings Robin Hunnam 2012

You can see more of Robin’s Op Art work on his website, Grasshoppermind.

Robin Hunnam by

3 thoughts on “Robin Hunnam

  • November 21, 2013 at 2:31 am
    Permalink

    Robin, love your website but don’t see any iinformation regarding purchase. I am especially interested in the curved geometrics pieces and curious if you sell as lithographs.

    Best of luck with your work.

    Keith Watson

    Reply
    • December 4, 2013 at 6:03 pm
      Permalink

      Hi Keith, Apologies for the delay in getting back to you. Thanks for your interest in my Op Art work. The work is designed using traditional methods but the final pieces are created digitally and printed as high resolution digital prints. If you let me know which specific pieces you like, perhaps we can work out a fair price for them.

      Regards, Robin.

      Reply
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