She also said this:
But deplorable though the disappearance of painting certainly is, it is only a phase in its renewal. It would be a mistake to think that when painting is not widely appreciated, it necessarily means that it is in a bad way. Real confusion does have an advantage in that it makes one determined to try to get it right, or—more to the point—it can stimulate young artists to sort out the mess preceding generations have landed them in.
Her early works,
shimmering, apparently three-dimensional sweeps of gradually changing
black and white, are very well known, quite
iconic, and often reproduced without her permission (she tracks them down and stops them wherever possible) and without the realization that it's specifically an
artwork and not merely a common
pattern or effect.
Her later works have penetrated less into public consciousness, and have a much more complex use of colours. The proposed new EU flag designed by Rem Koolhaas, made of vertical stripes from all the flags of the members, looks like a poor imitation of later Bridget Riley.
She was born in London in 1931. She won the International Painting Prize at the Venice Biennale in 1968. I first saw her work in the mass at a large retrospective at the Serpentine Gallery in 1999, the year she was appointed Companion of Honour.
For some images of her work see:
http://www.diacenter.org/exhibs/riley/images.html
http://www.postershop.com/Riley-Bridget-p.html&Partnerid=2922