Julian Opie - ACE142.2

Some of Julian Opie’s sculptures on the Hayward Gallery terrace. Opie painting edge of axe. Opie says that the theme of these three related pieces is "people hiding behind large objects"; each piece is hiding or showing something. He says they are not intended to be funny but "often a joke or a story is a good way to carry … more formal ideas". He prefers to turn a piece into a joke to make it more accessible as well as more fun to make. He is interested in both form and content and is happy when several interests can be combined. He doesn’t mind his work being seen as "cartoon like" but tries to get away from the idea of stage props. He wants the work to look light and easy though points out that a good deal of work goes into the steel construction at the back. He doesn’t know if these pieces should be regarded as painting or sculpture – they are in a sculpture show but he can think of them as "very complicated canvases". He wants them to look "kind of weird" so that the viewer is "not sure whether they are flat or whether they’re 3-D… the painting is cheap illusion". Details of sculptures. Opie standing in front of one of the works. He talks about how long it takes to make one piece. More sculptures. He says he’s not interested in forcing his work on anyone; he prefers the audience to come by choice. Opie talking about his career since leaving art school a year earlier; he’s already selling well enough to be able to concentrate on his work full time.