The facade, floors and walls of the Lisson Gallery will become a showcase for
Julian Opie's nudes and portraits. Drawn on the computer some 35 friends and
acquaintances of the artist (including members of Blur) will be outputted as
paintings, sculptures, wallpaper, films and concrete casts. Upstairs will be a series
of digital landscapes incorporating electronic tests, lights and sound, creating a
primitive but evocative sensate environment.
"There is something very cold, impersonal and, at the same time sexy about an
airport lounge."
"People are quite self conscious when I photograph them, which is embarrassing in
the photo but helps to give life and presence to a painting."
Read more"I find inspiration in public places (roads, airports, graveyards, shops) where languages
take a form such as signs, gravestones, banners, popups."
"Our relationship to objects is defined by our bodies making the objects stand ins for
people doubles up this effect."
"An object at a different scale becomes a different object."
"When I'm drawing I feel like everybody's face is fabulous. I don't know if this is also
true of bodies."
"I would rather combine and manipulate existing languages than try to invent a new
one."
"I would like to make a painting and then walk into it."
"I try to make a universal symbol for each individual I draw"
Recent Exhibitions
Winter 1999/2000
Outdoor Tate Portrait Commission (6 of 4 x 4 meters)
Design sofa with SCP, London
St. Etienne album and singles
Lux Gallery blinking portraits projection
Spring 2000
Design Smart Car exterior, Vienna
Design Perry Boat exterior, Austria
Outdoor sculpture Clissold Park London
Tate Modern "Between cinema and a hard place"
Outdoor commission for Volkswagen & Wolfsberg‹
Summer 2000
One person show at Meymac, France‹
Tate Britain room in "Intelligence" SHOW‹
Autumn 2000
One person show, Alan Cristea Gallery London
One person show, Tokyo, Japan
Blur Album & posters campaign
BBC website www.bbc.co.uk/artzzone/takeaway
Winter 2001
Solo show, Lisson Gallery, February 6th
