JULIAN OPIE
Walking In The Rain, Seoul
2015
Screenprint on Somerset Satin tub sized 410 gsm paper 
59 x 86 3/8 in.
Edition of 50
Signed and numbered on label on verso

About This Work:

Julian Opie was born in London, where he currently lives and works.
He emerged in the 1980s as part of the so-called New British Sculpture movement.
This was an art movement characterized by some features that are recognizable in Opie’s work, such us a mix of pop and kitsch aesthetics, urban environments and society as preferred subject, or a certain play of color and humor.
He is now a well-established artist, exhibited all over the world.
His walking silhouettes are definitely among his most famous and recognizable subjects.

Movement has always been central to Opie’s full body of work, whether it is movement around and through the artworks or the movement of the artworks themselves.
A walking figure suggests life, power and purpose. The person is not posed for, or even aware of the viewer. In profile the striding human body is dynamic, and such a view is available on any street corner in the city.

In 2015 Julian Opie was invited to participate in a show in South Korea, when he created Walking In The Rain, Seoul.
With the studio doors open, he first took photos of passers-by as soon as it started raining, then he gathered the images together to capture this moment.
This is a very interesting statement by the artist himself, that explains clearly what was going on in Opie’s mind when he was creating this work in Seoul:

“With the umbrellas included, the images became large and complicated with a layering of different movement from top to bottom. This was probably the most complicated picture I had managed to compose so far. The rainy season was over and when the rain came it was light and the weather was warm. The resulting image is very personal and unique in feel, mood and color. I usually make paintings in two or more sizes […] but I could not imagine such a complex image being small so instead of a smaller size I decided to make an editioned silkscreen print on paper“. 

The humongous size and the strong color palette create a Pop allure, while the bold black contour lines make each element of the composition stand out.

Depicting human figures has always been a challenge for artists. However, Opie managed to find a new, original, personal way to represent people. His extremely recognizable style have gained him a place among the most famous contemporary artists of our time.