Julian Opie

Julian Opie is a British artist born in London in 1958, where he lives and works. Trained at Goldsmiths School of Art, he came to prominence in the 1980s with the New British Sculpture movement before developing the visual language that makes him instantly recognisable today: figures reduced to a few lines and flat fields of colour.

Paintings, sculptures, animations, relief works: Julian Opie art is less about reality than about how we represent and perceive it. Galerie de Bellefeuille is proud to count Julian Opie among the international artists it presents in Montreal and Toronto.

From Goldsmiths to New British Sculpture

Julian Opie studied at Goldsmiths School of Art in London from 1979 to 1982, where he was taught by Michael Craig-Martin. By the mid-1980s he was exhibiting with the New British Sculpture generation, which renewed British sculpture by drawing on everyday objects and materials.

His early works, cut and painted metal forms, already raise the question that runs through his whole career: how much information does it take to recognise a thing, a place or a person?

An instantly recognisable style

The Julian Opie art style comes down to a few elements: a black outline of constant weight, flat colour, a face reduced to a circle or a few marks. He draws on sources as varied as billboards, signage, classical portraiture, sculpture and Japanese prints.

This economy of means does not erase the individual. A posture, a gait, a haircut or a garment is enough to make each figure distinct. His portrait of the band Blur, made for the cover of Blur: The Best Of in 2000, carried this approach far beyond the art world.

Walkers, sprinters, dancers: the figure in motion

Movement is at the heart of Julian Opie's recent work. His anonymous walkers, observed on city streets, advance in single file across large panels. The Sprinters series (2024) captures the drive of male and female runners in full stride, while Dance, Synced breaks choreography into sequences.

With Running People (2020), these silhouettes become sculptures you can walk around. Depending on the project, Opie works with paint, vinyl, aluminum, bronze, LED screens or lenticular printing, treating each medium as a different way for the figure to exist in space.

Collecting Julian Opie

Julian Opie's work is held in major public collections, including Tate in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Much of his output is published in limited, numbered editions, which opens his work to a wide range of collectors, from editions to unique pieces.

Collectors of British artists who play with perception will find a neighbouring world in Patrick Hughes's reverspective. Movement captured in a fixed form also links Opie's work to Antoine Dufilho's car sculptures. To trace the roots of the geometric image and flat colour, Victor Vasarely's optical art offers a historical counterpoint.

To see Julian Opie art for sale right now, our team welcomes you to our spaces in Montreal and Toronto.

Career Highlights

• Born in London in 1958, Julian Opie lives and works there.

• He studied at Goldsmiths School of Art from 1979 to 1982, under Michael Craig-Martin.

• He was associated with the New British Sculpture movement from the 1980s.

• In 2000, he created the portrait of Blur for the cover of Blur: The Best Of.

• His work is held by Tate and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Notable Exhibitions

• Solo exhibitions at Lisson Gallery, London, since the 1980s.

• International exhibitions across Europe, North America and Asia.

• Presentations at Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal and Toronto.

FAQ

What is Julian Opie famous for?

For his graphic style: figures reduced to a black outline and flat colour, instantly identifiable. His walkers, his portraits and the cover of Blur: The Best Of (2000) made this visual language familiar far beyond museums.

How much does Julian Opie art cost?

Price depends on the medium, the format and the edition. Limited, numbered editions are the most accessible, while paintings, sculptures and unique pieces reach higher values. Contact the gallery in Montreal or Toronto to see which works are available and their prices.

What is Julian Opie's most famous piece?

His portrait of the members of Blur for the cover of Blur: The Best Of (2000) remains his best-known image with the wider public. Within his practice, the walking figures, silhouettes moving in single file across large panels, have become his signature.