Julian Opie [Widescreen]

Episode of Series “TheEYE”.
Part of a series of interview-based profiles of contemporary visual artists in Britain - this episode focuses on Julian Opie. Opie is a renowned artist who works across a range of media and styles. An installation artist, sculptor, painter and printmaker, Opie creates bold portraits, subtle landscapes, unconventional wallpaper, playful sculptures of animals, buildings and cars, and computer films presenting simplified and iconic versions of the contemporary environment. He has embraced computer art, clearly delighted with the possibilities that it affords him, allowing work to be created in non-traditional ways. Inspired by toys, architectural models, and all manner of modern signage, Opie engages with the themes of realism and memory, placing recognisably familiar objects into abstract circumstances. Opie also designed the cover art for the album “Best of Blur”, creating four portraits of the band members. These works now hang in the National Portrait Gallery. In interview Opie explains the motivations behind his work, his shifts in focus and the desire to explore new means of expression.