Pigeon
Pigeon
Signed Print
Julian Opie
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32 x 43cm, Edition of 20, Relief print
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Meaning & Analysis
Pigeon is a signed relief print made by the critically acclaimed British artist Julian Opie in 2020. The print comes in an edition size of 20 and shows a pigeon rendered in white and blue. Opie uses thick blue lines to delineate the bird’s body which he then fills in with a solid, flat, white. The depiction lacks detail and shading as Opie chooses to emphasise the overall shape of the bird and the way colour can be used to accentuate form.
Opie’s style was influenced by contemporary artists from the 20th century such as Roy Lichtenstein, who was known for his cartoon and comic book imagery, and Andy Warhol, the father of Pop Art who rose to fame with his Pop Art prints of celebrities and everyday, commonplace objects like Campbell’s Soup Cans.
Pigeon can be seen alongside five other prints, all of which depict birds, and are part of Opie’s Small Birds collection. Each print shows a bird rendered in a minimalist style and the artworks are all marked by Opie’s use of thick outlines and bright and bold colours. The pieces were made to accompany the artist’s impressive LED based public artwork to date, Australia Birds, which was installed in Melbourne, Australia, in December 2020.
Julian Opie, born in 1958, dances through the contemporary art scene with a distinctive digital allure. A trailblazer of the 1980s New British Sculpture movement, Opie's work is a highly stylised blend of Pop Art and minimalism which navigates the intersection of technology and visual expression. From his early experiments with computer-generated art to his iconic portraits and animated installations, Opie's work exudes a captivating simplicity. His signature style, marked by bold lines and reduced forms, is internationally recognisable and has made him a key player in British contemporary art.
