In the early to mid 1960s, Williams began working in the Op art style that developed over the same period in Europe and the United States.
His compositions of closely spaced lines, geometric shapes and high-keyed, contrasting colours were carefully rendered to create optical illusions and vibrations.
He aimed to create the impression of movement and three-dimensionality on a static, two-dimensional painted surface, and to bring the experience of visual art closer to that of music, unfolding over time.
The Chromatic Invention series (1969–70) reflects the artist's admiration of Johann Sebastian Bach, and his belief that invention is the most important quality in art.

Williams' work of the 1960s and 1970s relates to that of European artists such as Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely.
Op art came to prominence in the United States with the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition The Responsive Eye in 1965, and had a large public following.
In New Zealand, a small number of artists worked in an Op style, notably Gordon Walters and Ray Thorburn.
Williams and Walters travelled to Melbourne, Australia, together in 1975, breaking their return journey to visit Sydney to see an exhibition of recent paintings by Bridget Riley at the Coventry Gallery.

Williams’ Op art was partly a reaction against the emphasis on expressive mark-making and individual style in 1950s Abstract Expressionism.
He believed in the universal appeal of optical illusion, declaring that it “appeals to a more innocent side of ourselves”.
He experimented with photo-mechanical techniques to produce optical patterns as efficiently as possible and in multiples, thereby making it available to more people.
The exactitude and impersonal finish of Williams’ paintings directs the viewer’s attention to the images themselves and their own perception, rather than the artist’s touch or sensibility.

Important series from Williams’ Op art phase of the 1970s include the Daedal series, the Quotient (1973) and Delta (1978–80) series.
These series were shown during the 1970s at Barry Lett Galleries in Auckland and the Elva Bett Gallery in Wellington.
A selection from all three series was shown in a two-person exhibition with Gordon Walters at the Canterbury Society of Arts Gallery in 1984.
In the early to mid 1960s, Williams began working in the Op art style that developed over the same period in Europe and the United States. His compositions of closely spaced lines, geometric shapes and high-keyed, contrasting colours were carefully rendered to create optical illusions and vibrations. He aimed to create the impression of movement and three-dimensionality on a static, two-dimensional painted surface, and to bring the experience of visual art closer to that of music, unfolding over time. The Chromatic Invention series (1969–70) reflects the artist's admiration of Johann Sebastian Bach, and his belief that invention is the most important quality in art.
Williams' work of the 1960s and 1970s relates to that of European artists such as Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely. Op art came to prominence in the United States with the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition The Responsive Eye in 1965, and had a large public following. In New Zealand, a small number of artists worked in an Op style, notably Gordon Walters and Ray Thorburn. Williams and Walters travelled to Melbourne, Australia, together in 1975, breaking their return journey to visit Sydney to see an exhibition of recent paintings by Bridget Riley at the Coventry Gallery.
Williams’ Op art was partly a reaction against the emphasis on expressive mark-making and individual style in 1950s Abstract Expressionism. He believed in the universal appeal of optical illusion, declaring that it “appeals to a more innocent side of ourselves”. He experimented with photo-mechanical techniques to produce optical patterns as efficiently as possible and in multiples, thereby making it available to more people. The exactitude and impersonal finish of Williams’ paintings directs the viewer’s attention to the images themselves and their own perception, rather than the artist’s touch or sensibility.
Important series from Williams’ Op art phase of the 1970s include the Daedal series, the Quotient (1973) and Delta (1978–80) series. These series were shown during the 1970s at Barry Lett Galleries in Auckland and the Elva Bett Gallery in Wellington. A selection from all three series was shown in a two-person exhibition with Gordon Walters at the Canterbury Society of Arts Gallery in 1984.
Mervyn Williams (artist)