Julian Opie’s Winter at the British Council captures the French landscape in 75 prints. The artist tells Karan Bhardwaj that movement and human body have been the quintessential elements in all his projects
Can you talk about the French countryside, particular areas that inspired the exhibition and printsIJ
In winters, I chose a part of the world which I love and that lends itself to being drawn — in the loire valley in central France. I took a photograph every twenty paces on a circular walk as the light was fading on a misty winter’s day. By showing the images sequentially on a gallery wall, or on a lCD screen, your mind can surge from one empty image to the next, recreating the walk in your mind.
Ever since I began making art, I have seen movement as an integral part of any artwork. As far as decisions about colour, material or subject matter, movement is a telling part of reality and life. How can you depict the world realistically without including movementIJ
landscapes, being a matter of nature and serenity, have inspired many. What is the artistic discourse of presenting them in animationIJ
I thought that by drawing a series of traditional horizontal landscapes that depicted a series of moments on a circular walk. I could make an endless, moving, three dimensional portrait of a small part of the world.
The impression of movement in the photographs gives a sense of continuity. How is that important in your worksIJ
When a human moves they reveal so much about themselves and come to life. When you move through the world you understand depth and solidity. There is walking but also driving and flying and trains and running. There is the view in front, and the view to the side. There is movement through the city, through the forest and out at sea. There are humans and animals and so many other kinds of movement. I have drawn flying birds and vapour trails of passing planes, waving grass and passing boats, smiling mouths and twinkling lights. In the past, artists had to infer this movement but with new technology, I can introduce this movement to paintings and even sculptures.
Can you share the creative process of making these printsIJ
People often assume that the starting point is a photograph but this is not the case. The stating point is an observation of the real world or sometimes an idea inspired by someone else’s artwork, or a combination of the two. I lived for years with some of these observations, building on them, coming back to them, reusing and refining them. I use photography as a notebook and a mirror to bring the images and the information into my studio and onto my computer screen. My screen then becomes a window, a mirror, a telescope and a video recorder.
When I was young I used to close one eye and draw over my reflection in a mirror and, in this way, I taught myself how to draw. I now do the same with the use of a camera, a computer and a graphics tablet. It has always seemed logical to me to do as little as possible to achieve the maximum of reality and effect. Making art is sailing without a map or compass, so any rule is welcome. Rule number one is to make it as realistic as possible. The other is to use as little as possible to achieve this. There are other rules but it’s also true that I like to break the rules.
What are the prints likeIJ
There is a sequence of seventy five prints that represent a circular walk through the French countryside on a harsh but beautiful day. The prints absorb an eclectic range of influences, from 17th century Dutch landscape painting to Street View on Google Maps. The installation of these works creates a surrounding panorama that combines the rural landscape with slick architectural surfaces immersing the viewer in the purified essence of my experience.
What is the process of making portraitsIJ
The portraits are based on photographs which are initially scanned and then processed by with the help of a computer software. In this process, the subject is reduced to its characteristic traits of physiognomy and details are coarsened. With their black outlines, backgrounds of monochrome colours as well as dot or line marks for eyes, noses and mouths, the portraits are reminiscent of comic strip heroes or corporate logos.