Rogelio Polesello (26 July 1939 – 6 July 2014) was an Argentine artist whose work spanned painting, mural projects and sculpture. He became widely associated with Op art, the visual style that uses geometric forms, repeated motifs and contrasting tones to produce optical effects. During his career Polesello was recognized nationally and internationally and received two Konex Awards for his contribution to the visual arts.

Style and artistic approach

Polesello's work explored visual perception and the active experience of looking. Drawing on the language of Op art, he used precise geometry, high-contrast patterns and rhythmic repetition to generate the sensation of movement, depth or vibration on flat surfaces. He adapted these principles across media, applying optical sequences to canvas as well as to large-scale mural surfaces and three-dimensional forms. The interplay of line, shape and color in his pieces invited viewers to shift their focus and discover changing visual relationships.

Career highlights and recognition

Active from the mid-20th century onwards, Polesello contributed to the spread and adaptation of optical art in the Southern Cone and beyond, helping make such visual experiments part of mainstream contemporary practice in Latin America. He was honored with two Konex Awards, decades apart, reflecting long-term influence and esteem in Argentina's cultural circles. His work appeared in exhibitions, public commissions and publications that focused on constructivist and kinetically oriented art traditions.

Legacy and importance

Polesello is remembered for bridging experimental graphic strategies and public art, demonstrating how optical effects can transform both small-scale works and civic spaces. Younger generations of artists in Argentina and neighboring countries have cited the expansion of perceptual art practices—works that foreground sensation, movement and viewer interaction—as part of his legacy. His murals and sculptures remain examples of how abstract, non‑figurative art can engage broad audiences outside gallery settings.

Key facts

  • Born: 26 July 1939, in Buenos Aires.
  • Died: 6 July 2014, in Buenos Aires; reported cause was a heart attack (cardiac arrest).
  • Artistic roles: painter, muralist (see mural work), and sculptor.
  • Contributions: a prominent figure in making Op art more visible in Latin America.
  • Awards: recipient of two Konex Awards (1982 and 2012).

Polesello's work continues to be studied as part of mid‑20th‑century experiments with perception and public art, and his pieces remain reference points for artists exploring how optical systems can animate surfaces and spaces.