Alexander Sadlo was the pioneer of optical geometrical painting in Australia, and his presence in Adelaide and at the Contemporary Art Society had an osmotic effect on a later generation of painters who are now credited with bringing Hard Edge, Colour Field and Op Art to the fore in Australia.

Sadlo works in several media - ranging from painting in oils to enamels, jewellery to ceramics - and a particular interest is creating three-dimensional illusions with abstract and semi-abstract forms. In the 1960s he was also one of the first artists in Australia to produce collages that commented on and documented the period. This work coincided with a heightening of the palette in his paintings, which absorbed some of the stylistic inclinations of contemporary fashions, hip designs and Pop Art.