Key takeaways
- Julian Opie is a famous British artist known for his minimalist and modernist work
- His style is characterized by the use of bold outlines and flat colors, reminiscent of digital graphics and pop art
- Opie's work often explores themes of identity, perception, and the impact of technology on society
- He has exhibited his work in major art museums, including the Museum of Modern Art and Tate
- Opie's artform variations include painting, sculpture, films, digital, and public art projects, demonstrating his versatility as an artist
- His use of minimalism and digital techniques has led to the creation of innovative and dynamic art installations
Julian Opie
Julian Opie (born 1958) is a British visual artist associated with the New British Sculpture movement. Born in London and raised in Oxford, he attended The Dragon School and Magdalen College School before graduating from Goldsmiths, University of London, in 1982, where he studied under conceptual artist Michael Craig-Martin. In 1994, he was a Sargant Fellow at The British School at Rome.
Opie's art is instantly recognizable for its distinctive, "clean" graphic style, reflecting his interest in how viewers perceive and engage with the everyday world through signs and images. Influenced by a wide range of sources, from classical portraiture and sculpture to Egyptian hieroglyphs, Japanese woodblock prints, and public signage such as traffic and information boards, his works span screen-printing, LED screens, billboard posters, and album covers. As a member of the New British Sculpture Group, Opie also created irreverent sculptures inspired by famous artworks, incorporating everyday objects.
Constantly experimenting with both ancient and modern techniques, Opie reinterprets everyday visual language. His signature reductive style offers a unique visual and spatial experience, drawing from both classical art and contemporary signage, seamlessly blending modern aesthetics with the foundations of art history to bridge tradition and innovation.
His work has been exhibited worldwide, including at the Tate and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. With 24 pieces in the Tate’s collection and six portraits in the National Portrait Gallery, Opie’s influence in minimalism and pop art, defined by bold outlines and simplified forms, is widely recognized.
Work
Since graduating in the early 1980s and emerging in London's pre-Young British Artists scene, Julian Opie has significantly influenced popular culture with his instantly recognizable minimalist style. His early work included painted steel sculptures that explored visual and spatial relationships, leading to his involvement in the New British Sculpture group alongside Anish Kapoor and Tony Cragg. Over time, Opie expanded his practice to include painting, installation, and album cover art.
Best known for his graphic portraiture, Opie focuses on creating broad likenesses of his subjects, often using computer-aided design to blend contemporary art with commercial design. His portraits, resembling uniform passport images, reduce his sitters to almost logo-like representations.
Opie's work, often linked to pop art, features minimalist black-line portraits and animated walking figures. His art explores themes such as art history, technological innovation, and the human body while maintaining a consistent visual style across multiple media. Guided by personal criteria, Opie’s creative process revolves around realism, questioning whether a piece could define his work or belong in his own space.
Known for his distinctive "clean" graphic style, Opie draws inspiration from classical portraiture, Egyptian hieroglyphs, Japanese woodblock prints, and modern signage, focusing on how viewers perceive and interact with everyday images. His art spans mediums like screen-printing, LED screens, billboard posters, and album covers. As part of the New British Sculpture group, Opie also created irreverent sculptures using everyday objects, inspired by famous artworks.
Opie’s experimentation with ancient and modern techniques allows him to reinterpret visual language in unique ways. His reductive style bridges modern aesthetics with historical influences, blending classical art and contemporary signage to offer a dynamic visual experience.
In his landscape works, Opie simplifies rural and urban scenes using thick black outlines and blocks of color, inspired by computer game landscapes, such as empty, winding roads with flat blue skies. His animated sculptures, including the "Suzanne Walking" and "Julian Walking" series, are displayed on LED screens in public spaces, blurring the line between art and street signage, inviting viewers to pause and reflect on the connection between the artificial and the human.
Opie’s notable commissions include designing the album cover for Blur’s 2000 release, for which he won a Music Week CADS Best Illustration award. He has also created an LED projection for U2's "Vertigo" tour (2006), designed the set for Wayne McGregor’s ballet Infra (2008), and in 2010, was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery to create a portrait of Sir James Dyson. In 2019, he designed a digital screen installation for Magdalen College School, Oxford, featuring children running in uniform.
Notable works
"Making It" (1983)
Opie’s early works included steel sculptures painted with oil, aiming to resemble everyday objects like tools, appliances, furniture, and food. "Making It" is painted to resemble a vertical stack of wooden boards, with tools such as a hammer, handsaw, electric drill, and screwdriver embedded or balanced precariously. Rather than being photorealistic, the objects are depicted with detailed, finely shaded illustrations.
"Gary, Popstar" (1998-99)
By the late 1990s, Opie had developed his signature portrait style. Works like "Gary, Popstar" feature thick lines and minimal details to capture a broad likeness of the subject. Opie’s portrait process typically begins with a brief photography session lasting fifteen to twenty minutes with the sitter.
"Suzanne Walking in Leather Skirt" (2006)
Opie created several simple computer animations, including variations of "Suzanne Walking", which were displayed as continuous loops on LED screens in public spaces such as the Northern Avenue Pedestrian Bridge in Boston and Parnell Square in Dublin. These animations resemble the format of street signs, with simple line figures and circle heads, often recalling the "little man" icons on crosswalk signals. By blending iconic signage with real-life imagery, these works explore the intersection between the artificial and the human.
Exhibitions, Public Projects, and Collections
Julian Opie has exhibited extensively in the UK and internationally. His solo exhibitions include La Llotja, Palma (2024); Galleri F15, Norway (2023); Mango Museum, China (2023); He Art Museum, China (2022); Pitzhanger Manor, London (2021); Berardo Museum, Lisbon (2020); Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, Japan (2019); and the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia (2018). His work has also been featured in major group exhibitions such as "LIGHT: Works from the Tate Collection" at The National Art Centre, Tokyo (2023), "We Change The World" at the National Gallery of Victoria (2021), the 57th Venice Biennale (2017), documenta 8 (1987), and the XIIème Biennale de Paris (1985).
Opie’s public projects span major cities worldwide. Notable installations include "Promenade dans le métro" at Porte de Clichy Metro Station, Paris (2024), "Walking in Lisbon" at the World Trade Centre Lisbon (2022), "Australian Birds" in Melbourne (2020), "Walking in Shanghai" at Fosun Foundation (2019), and works at Heathrow Terminal 1 (1998) and Wormwood Scrubs Prison, London (1994). His sculptures and LED installations have been permanently placed in Tokyo, New York, Seoul, London, Calgary, and more.
His works are held in prestigious collections, including Tate, MoMA New York, the British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, the National Portrait Gallery London, the Museum of Modern Art in Boston, IVAM in Spain, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, and the Takamatsu City Museum of Art in Japan. The National Portrait Gallery London holds six of his portraits, including his famous Blur series and a portrait of Sir James Dyson. Over two dozen of his works are in Tate’s collection, and six are in MoMA’s.
FAQ
Who is Julian Opie?
Julian Opie is a famous artist known for his unique style. He uses bold outlines and flat colors, similar to digital graphics.
What is Opie's artistic style and approach?
Opie focuses on identity, perception, and technology's impact in his art. He mixes minimalism and pop art. This blend challenges how we see and understand art.
How has digital media and animation influenced Opie's work?
Digital media and animation have greatly influenced Opie. His work often includes public art and digital technology. This allows him to create fresh and engaging pieces.
What are some of Opie's notable works and exhibitions?
Opie's 1980s portraits are famous for their unique style. His art has been shown worldwide. It has earned him global recognition.
How has Opie's work impacted the world of contemporary art?
Opie's use of digital media and animation has changed art. He has inspired a new generation of artists. His work has shaped contemporary art and solidified his status as a visionary.
Selena Mattei
