In 2021, British artist Julian Opie (b. 1958) created his “Crossing” series, a suite of eight works comprised of color-changing lenticular acrylic panels back-mounted with Dibond—each housed in an artist-specified frame. Featured on each is a lone figure, rendered in Opie’s signature outline style, walking.
Four works from this series are currently featured in the Artnet Auctions Winter Editions sale, now live for bidding through December 19, 2024. Together, the works illustrate not only Opie’s singular artistic vocabulary but also his capacity to continually push the boundaries and expand the creative possibilities of linework itself.
Julian Opie, Stripes (from Crossing) (2021)
Julian Opie, Stripes (from “Crossing”) (2021). Est. $10,000–$15,000.
A graduate of Goldsmith, University of London, Opie first rose to prominence with his black line drawings, predominantly of moving figures, portraits, and landscapes. Using pared down compositional elements and, once he introduced color, bold palettes, his work and practice echoed that of American Pop art as well as Minimalism—synthesized together to create something wholly new. Operating a part of the New British Sculpture group in the 1980s, which also included artists such as Anish Kapoor and Tony Cragg, his distinctive thick-line compositional style is also found in his three-dimensional works. A notable public commission featuring these elements includes Reclining Nude (2003), installed at Gateshead Millennium Bridge in London.
Julian Opie, Shirt (from “Crossing”) (2021)
Julian Opie, Shirt (from “Crossing”) (2021). Est. $10,000–$15,000.
In the works from the “Crossing” series, Opie’s ability to capture the nuance of individual figures through the simplicity of line is brought to the fore. Each of these works’ titles alludes to an area of particular interest: for instance, in Pockets (2021), the person’s hands are, of course, in their pockets. But their head is also turned downward, posture slightly curved. Together, the piece poetically captures a moment of deep contemplation, or perhaps even defeat, depending on the viewer’s interpretation. In other works, like Stripes (2021), for instance, the bold pattern of the person’s skirt has captured Opie’s attention.
Julian Opie, Turn Ups (from “Crossing”) (2021)
Julian Opie, Turn Ups (from “Crossing”). Est. $10,000–$15,000.
Space and viewer perspectives are also integral parts of understanding these works. With the compositions on lenticular grounds, the works suggest a moving or blurred background with movement and changing vantage points, placing the viewer in a suspended reality. While at first glance Opie’s work may appear incredibly straightforward, with closer examination it becomes clear how his use of only the most irreducible elements of representation ultimately taps a unique level of experiential viewership.
Winter Editions is live for bidding now through December 19, 2024.