British artist Julian Opie’s work is instantly distinguishable across the world. After 30 years in the industry, public commissions of his unique graphic portrait works now span the globe – showcased from South Korea to Ireland, Belgium to Canada – and have earned him a reputation as one of the top contemporary artists in the world today. If that still doesn’t ring a bell you might know his signature style from the cover of Britpop band Blur’s 2000 best of album.
Opie rose to prominence in the 1980s as a key member of the New British Sculpture Movement, and has forged a career on the skilful simplicity and extraordinary clarity of his work. This year, ahead of shows in South Korea, Japan and a huge exhibition at the National Gallery in Melbourne, Opie’s art is exhibiting in China for the first time. One of today’s most influential galleries, Lisson Gallery, is responsible for bringing over 50 of Opie’s works to Shanghai, in collaboration with Fuson Foundation and its new Bund-side space.
The show is being held at the impressive Bund Financial Center, set in amazing architectural surrounds. Spanning two floors of the building, the presentation focuses on two aspects of Opie’s practice: his engagement with portraiture and his interest in the built environment and natural landscapes.
The show opens on the urban floor – where we find familiar portrait works and figures in motion rendered on digital LED screens. Opie’s older portrait works are characteristically simple, featuring block colours, thick black lines and minimal detail, but are all instantly recognisable as the intended subject. Newer works have expanded from this minimalist style, with an impressive mosaic art creation as part of the Joggers series, traditional in style but starring a modern subject with the recognisable Nike tick on the joggers’ clothing.
‘After leaving the show you feel like you see Julian Opie’s work everywhere,’ says Lisson Gallery’s Asia Director David Tung. ‘Walking along the Bund, you see joggers running past, and they look exactly like his portraits.’ And that, of course, is exactly the point.
This simplicity is matched with humour and a refreshing light-heartedness. A collection of Opie’s famous high-rise building installations can be found in the centre of the first floor, perfectly complementing the reflection, shadows and architecture of the building and backdrop of Shanghai through the windows.
The second floor of the exhibition features Opie’s more rural-inspired works, including statues of sheep and landscape works inspired by his home in the UK and other global locations. The show features three new landscape works painted directly onto the wall of the building, and a new and unique patchwork creation of one of Opie’s landscape pieces.
Many visiting international artists often create works for Shanghai about Shanghai, but Opie’s new green countryside scenes show no signs of the city. Connection with the audience however is something that Julian has never struggled to achieve. ‘He doesn’t want to patronise his audience like some other artists might. I mean, if you want to see the Bund you can just look outside and see it. Here, people can be transported to different places,’ explains Tung, ‘But he is very inspired by his environment – it’s more than likely his work in the future will feature Shanghai in some way.’
Opie himself said he did not want signs on the wall telling the audience where one series ends and another begins, and this distaste for pressure on an audience to draw some deep-rooted meaning from his work is what has made him so universally popular with audiences around the world. His art prides itself on the everyday subject, and above all makes for a relatable, fun and photo-friendly show.
The exhibition is an easy introduction to Opie’s work for even the most art shy, and we hope the sign of even bigger things to come from the Fuson Foundation.
Julian Opie is showing at Fosun Foundation Art Center (600 Zhongshan Dong'er Lu) until June 10. Tickets cost 100RMB.
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