Julian Opie’s distinct artistic language is recognizable across the world – whether in massive pubic sculpture, digital animations, or paint, his human figures always surprise with how much individuality is conveyed in such reduced forms. His newest work, on view now at Lisson Gallery in New York plays with scale, movement, and three different materials while also debuting a new series of work that is his first to depict children.
Exhibition view of ‘Julian Opie’ at Lisson, Gallery New York, 13 February – 19 April 2025 © Julian Opie, Courtesy Lisson Gallery
The center of the room hosts four massive aluminum sculptures, each approximately 10 feet tall. The works, all painted in high-gloss auto paint, are part of his “Busan Walker Series” that captures walkers along the seafront in Busan, Korea. “Red Phone” and “Yellow Phone” are stand-outs that capture phone-facing pedestrians as they walk without breaking stride.
Exhibition view of ‘Julian Opie’ at Lisson, Gallery New York, 13 February – 19 April 2025 © Julian Opie, Courtesy Lisson Gallery
Julian Opie, “Yellow phone, 2023” © Julian Opie, Courtesy Lisson Gallery
Much of the joy comes from the juxtaposition of art and real people. I took a selfie with the goal of demonstrating the unexpected large scale of all the works here (below), and as I was checking the image on my phone, I realized that my own phone-viewing silhouette matched those of the sculptures – prompting a smile from another visitor who just entered the gallery. It’s a reminder (and a recommendation) that this exhibition and all of Opie’s work gets better when shared with strangers. The work is about people, both within the work and surrounding it.
Julian Opie, “Reception B. (Junior Kindergarten B), 2024”, with author.
My favorite works are Opie’s first depictions of children, here reaching 13 feet tall on the wall. Created from hand-painted resin that resembles stone, each of the three large works depicts a different age/grade level: Kindergarten (pictured above), First Grade (with the green background), and Third Grade (brown background). It may take a minute to spot the age difference between each work since each group is scaled to the same height – inviting you to compare clothing, stride, and proportion from one work to the next.
Step closer and the work visually breaks into pure abstraction. The black outlines are deeply recessed, causing you to lose the image and see only depth and material.
Julian Opie, “Reception B. (Junior Kindergarten B), 2024” (detail)
Exhibition view of ‘Julian Opie’ at Lisson, Gallery New York, 13 February – 19 April 2025 © Julian Opie, Courtesy Lisson Gallery
The Lisson Gallery in New York may have my favorite lighting of any gallery, with two long rows of narrow skylights that provide daylight in spite of the High Line Park directly overhead. In a previous exhibition, the skylights were used to create a real rainbow, and here that very specific angle and quality of light gives each of these reliefs a sense that you’re viewing them in a cave or ancient temple.
Julian Opie, Year 4 A. (Third Grade A), 2024. © Julian Opie, Courtesy Lisson Gallery
Julian Opie “Year 4 A. (Third Grade A), 2024” (detail)
Julian Opie “Year 4 A. (Third Grade A), 2024” (detail)
The opposite walls features three large LED screens, each about 6 feet across, that display infinite animations of the same three groups of children. Here they walk in the same direction and never leave the frame, as if each is on an invisible treadmill.
The bright LEDs pixels give the works an extremely crisp presentation in person. And though there’s a great video of the exhibition (below) produced by the gallery, the digital works too must be seen in person. It can be a hypnotic experience to watch the unique walking styles and different step speeds in combination, falling in and out of sync to create a strange poly-rhythm that can hold you to the work for several minutes.
Exhibition view of ‘Julian Opie’ at Lisson, Gallery New York, 13 February – 19 April 2025 © Julian Opie, Courtesy Lisson Gallery
Julian Opie “Reception. (Junior Kindergarten), 2024” © Julian Opie, Courtesy Lisson Gallery
Julian Opie’s work is an invitation to see the world and your fellow pedestrians with a fresh eye – to be amazed within the gallery itself and then notice new rhythms of the city forever when you exit.
And if you’re in Los Angeles or Baltimore, keep your eye out for surprising digital public works on various screens throughout the cities, running concurrently with the exhibition in New York! Learn more here.
What: Julian Opie
Where: Lisson Gallery, 504 W 24th St, New York, NY
When: February 13 – April 19, 2025
All artwork & installation images © Julian Opie, courtesy Lisson Gallery.
Detail images (and selfie) by David Behringer.
