When a bold red and and a bold blue are combined, the colors appear to jump. What is this effect called?

Question

The ancient Etruscans used this effect in some of their tomb paintings.

Answer 1

its called a color "viberation"

Answer 2

No, you're not thinking of op art (what could op art possibly have to do with the Etruscans, person above me?). When colors "jump" it's visual vibration. Usually, this happens with two complementary colors (red-green, blue-orange, red orange-blue green, etc.), but bold, bright colors together also tend to create a visual vibration.
If you want to research more about color (if no one really answers your questions), look up the color theories of Josef Albers, Goethe (he was a fiction writer but also wrote a treatise on color), and Wilhelm von Bezold.

Answer 3

This is sometimes refered to as figure-ground effect. It is a perceptual phenomenon that causes some colours to appear bigger or more vibrant when placed against other colours.

A brief overview of literature on the web didn't really lead to a simple explanation, partly, I think, because it is not completely understood. I am aware of it because of cartography studies where colour ordering is very important.

A good example of figure ground effect are the mind teaser games where they will have a black figure on a white background, and next to it, a white figure on a black background. The black one will appear to be bigger, even though they are the same size.

Answer 4

I think you are thinking of "Op Art" (optical illusion) or "Color Field" movements in art. Aso termed perceptual abstraction.

The seemingly simple paintinga of Josef Albers, Julian Stanczak and Richard Anuszkiewicz are about colors being experimented with next to each other and in a variety of shapes.

Answer 5

I'm not sure but it almost sounds like the same things they do with 3-d glasses.

Answer 6

simultaneous contrast
http://webexhibits.org/colorart/contrast.html

Answer 7

an illusion