Julian Opie is an internationally renowned artist of the New British Sculpture movement. Born in 1958 in London, Opie studied at Goldsmith's School of Art under conceptual artist Michael Craig-Martin. Julian Opie continues to live and work in London.
Read MoreOpie works in a variety of media including sculpture, painted aluminium, vinyl, and inkjet on canvas. His thick black outlines and simplified blocks of colour are reminiscent of Japanese woodblock prints, Pop Art, and minimalism. Opie's painted metal sculptures gained international recognition due to their highly stylized nature and their utilisation of basic line and negative space. His work is characterised by his ability to create simplified figures that remain uniquely recognisable.
Opie has undertaken many public commissions including works at the City Hall Park, New York (2004), the Mori Building, Omotesando Hill, Japan (2006), River Vitava, Prague (2007), Dublin City Gallery, Ireland (2008), Seoul Square, South Korea (2009), Regent's Place, London (2011), and Calgary, Canada (2012).
Opie designed the album cover for Best of Blur by British band Blur in 2000 for which he was presented with a Music Week CADS Award the following year. He was earlier awarded the Sargent Fellowship at the British School in Rome in 1995. Opie's work is held in collections at the National Portrait Gallery, London, the Tate, London, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
Ocula Feature Shanghai Art Week: Exhibitions to See By Tessa Moldan, Shanghai With Art021 and West Bund Art & Design taking place in November, we recommend 17 shows to see in Shanghai this winter.
Ocula Conversation Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo By Stephanie Bailey, Turin Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in Guarene and Turin, together with the Madrid Fundación, are creating a new constellation; mapping out a new geography that concretely embodies an idea of Europe based on reciprocity—between places, communities, fields of knowledge and cultures.
Ocula Feature Top 5 booths at Art Busan 2016 By Angela Suh, Busan Located a stones throw from the famed Haeundae Beach, popularised in Korean cinema and countless K-dramas, Art Busan 2016 conveyed a leisurely air brought on by the first warm days of spring. Now in its fifth edition, the fair has grown into a sizeable event showcasing some of the best works in the region. With over 190 participating galleries...
Related Press Heads Roll review – an exhibition for narcissists everywhere 13 August 2018, The Guardian Portraiture is an enduring art form, thanks to the narcissistic tendencies of the human race.
Related Press Julian Opie: 'It's only when you are bored that you can see' 25 April 2018, The Guardian I sent two of my assistants out to the park to film people walking and, on reviewing the films, I found that many joggers had run past the camera. Humans are built for running. I have read they can outrun a wolf or a horse over long distances. By drawing one stride with around 30 frames I can set a drawing in motion to run smoothly forever as an...
Related Press Ai Weiwei, Anish Kapoor and Marina Abramović lead major new exhibition Everything At Once at Store Studios 8 September 2017, The Vinyl Factory This October, Store Studios will host Everything At Once, an extensive off-site exhibition featuring 24 artists currently shown at Lisson Gallery in celebration of its 50th anniversary.
Related Press Amnesty for Art 21 February 2017, Post-ism As far as you look back in history, the arts have always interacted with the power structures of their time. Artists, writers, poets, filmmakers and musicians have been indispensible critical voices, reacting to cultural and political discourse, connecting with social movements. They can be a powerful voice of dissent and transgression to...
Related Video & Audio Julian Opie: This is Shahnoza in 3 Parts 10 October 2008, Alan Cristea Gallery A short film exploring a series of nine, life-size works by Julian Opie. This is Shahnoza in 3 Parts features linear images of a pole dancer called Shahnoza in nine different poses.
