A visual artist born and living in London, he emerged in the British art scene of the 1980s. He makes use of light techniques, casting shadows, creating depth, shapes, and colors. His style evokes a visual and spatial experience of the world around us, linking the clean visual language of modern life with elements of art history. His trademarks are portraits and animated figures, presented in a minimalist style characterized by black line drawings. The style is influenced by a diverse range of sources such as billboards, portraits, sculptures, dance, Japanese woodblock prints, video games, cartoons, silhouettes, animations, and various technological elements.
The artwork “Walking in the City”, installed since 2015 at the Arendt Building for Culture and Arts in Luxembourg City, is part of a larger project of the same name. In this project, the artist immortalized the pedestrian routine of London and transplanted it to other locations. These are two-dimensional sculptures that can be viewed from both sides.
Another famous piece by Opie, “Ann Dancing”, was installed in 2010 in a central square in Indianapolis, USA. It is a dynamic electronic column, consisting of four sides—rectangular panels of light screens—and on each side, there is a figure of a woman outlined in orange lines. The woman, named Ann, wears a dress and moves in dancing motions from side to side, her feet either bare or adorned with high heels, with no clear hairstyle. This is art that references the historical use of the female figure as an architectural decoration and design element in inspiring places.
Bottom line: Humanity through the lens of art.
