Julian Opie | Dance | 2024
Julian Opie is a British visual artist known for his distinctive style, which simplifies human figures and landscapes into bold, graphic forms using thick outlines and flat colors. His work often explores themes of movement, perception, and digital aesthetics, making lenticular prints a fitting medium for his artistic expression.
Lenticular printing is a technique that creates the illusion of depth or movement when viewed from different angles. This is achieved by layering multiple images beneath a specially designed plastic lens. Opie has used this technology to add a dynamic element to his signature minimalist style, allowing his static figures to appear as if they are walking, turning, or shifting perspectives.
Opie's lenticular prints frequently depict people in motion—commuters walking, dancers swaying, or figures turning their heads. The effect enhances his already animated style, bridging the gap between digital and physical media. Through lenticular printing, he extends his fascination with how humans perceive movement, translating his digital animations into a tangible, interactive experience.
Opie strips figures down to their essential features, often reducing them to solid blocks of color and thick black outlines. The simplicity of his style makes the movement created by the lenticular effect even more striking.The lenticular process allows Opie's works to transform based on the viewer’s position. Walking past the artwork gives the impression of movement, making the viewer an active participant in the experience. Opie’s background in digital art translates seamlessly into lenticular prints. The layering of images mimics the frame-by-frame motion seen in animation, offering a hybrid between traditional print and modern technology. Many of his lenticular works focus on daily life, depicting people in casual, unstaged moments, such as walking down the street or looking at their phones. This creates a connection between art and contemporary human behavior.
Julian Opie’s use of lenticular prints showcases his innovative approach to contemporary art. By incorporating movement into his signature minimalist style, he transforms static imagery into dynamic experiences. His work challenges traditional notions of portraiture and perception, making lenticular prints a perfect medium for his ongoing exploration of how we see and interact with the world.
Discover Julian opie prints at Guy Hepner and contact our team for further information via info@guyhepner.com.
February 17, 2025
