Julian Opie's name is evocative of starkly contoured figures and iconic portraiture, oft mimicked in the 1990s and Noughties. But the Wallpaper* Design Awards judge's latest opus is a subtle, pastoral departure from his usual MO.
This time he's taken inspiration not from the London streets or the cultural figures who have imbued his art with historic significance, but from a stroll through a bleak winter landscape in France. Where exactly in France we're unsure, but Opie leads us through his circuitous loop like an electronic street viewer: pivoting here and there to focus on the clear path ahead.
Opie captures each stage on the walk in a single digital print, coloured in a palette resembling army camouflage. The prints are laminated to a glass façade and presented in a grid on four walls of the Alan Cristea Gallery, in London's Mayfair. With 75 images in all, the viewer feels cocooned in that French landscape. The nose grows cold just contemplating the scene.
This 'Winter' series of all-new editions is a spin-off of Opie's recent computer-animated film of the same name, shown last summer at the Lisson Gallery. That film, a similar series of austere winter landscapes, has also made it into the current show and is on display in Cristea's adjacent gallery - next to a piece by Michael Craig-Martin, a mentor and former instructor of Opie's at Goldsmith's College.
The film's score by Paul Englishby, with vocals by Opie's wife Aniela, is piped into both galleries for the length of the show.
'Winter 32.' by Julian Opie, 2012, from a series of 75 digital prints laminated to glass and mounted to Plexiglas.
The 'Winter' series of all-new editions is a spin-off of Opie's recent computer-animated film of the same name, on show in Alan Cristea's adjacent gallery on Cork Street. © Julian Opie. Courtesy of the artist and Alan Cristea Gallery, London
Opie captures each stage on the walk in a single digital print, coloured in a palette resembling army camouflage. The prints are presented in a grid on four walls of the Alan Cristea Gallery.
'Winter 39.' by Julian Opie, 2012.
'Winter 68.' by Julian Opie, 2012.
ADDRESS
Alan Cristea Gallery
34 Cork Street
London
-
‘There are hidden things out there, we just need to look’: Studiomama's stone animals have quirky charmStudiomama founder's Nina Tolstrup and Jack Mama sieve the sands of Kent hunting down playful animal shaped stones for their latest collection
-
Tokyo firm Built By Legends gives fresh life to a performance icon, Nissan’s R34 GT-RThis Japanese restomod brings upgrades and enhancements to the Nissan R34 GT-R, ensuring the cult of the Skyline stays forever renewed
-
Squire & Partners' radical restructure: 'There are a lot of different ways up the firm to partnership'Squire & Partners announces a radical restructure; we talk to the late founder Michael Squire's son, senior partner Henry Squire, about the practice's new senior leadership group, its next steps and how architecture can move on from 'single leader culture'
-
Preview the Jameel Prize exhibition, coming to London's V&A, with a focus on moving image and digital mediaThe winner of the V&A and Art Jameel’s seventh international award for contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition will be showcased alongside shortlisted artists
-
Genesis Belanger is seduced by the real and the fake in LondonSculptor Genesis Belanger’s solo show, ‘In the Right Conditions We Are Indistinguishable’, is open at Pace, London
-
Francis Bacon at the National Portrait Gallery is an emotional tour de force‘Francis Bacon: Human Presence’ at the National Portrait Gallery in London puts the spotlight on Bacon's portraiture
-
Frieze Sculpture takes over Regent’s ParkTwenty-two international artists turn the English gardens into a dream-like landscape and remind us of our inextricable connection to the natural world
-
Don’t miss these artists at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair 2024As the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair returns to London (10-13 October 2024), here are the artists to see
-
Es Devlin’s large-scale choral installation celebrates London’s displaced populationEs Devlin has partnered with UK for UNHCR on a free and open-to-all exhibition, ‘Congregation’, in London from 3-9 October 2024
-
‘This blood that is flowing is my blood, and that should be a positive thing’: Tracey Emin at White CubeTracey Emin’s exhibition ‘I followed you to the end’ has opened at White Cube Bermondsey in London, and traces the artist’s journey through loss
-
'I want them to be tender': Gary Hume on his new artworks at Sprüth Magers in LondonWith Gary Hume’s exhibition ‘Mirrors and Other Creatures’ now open at Sprüth Magers, the artist speaks of swans, their curves, and why ‘it’s brilliant’ being a painter
