Meaning & Analysis

Boats 1 is a digital print made by the acclaimed British artist Julian Opie in 2015. Coming in an edition size of 35 the acrylic (lenticular) print shows two boats next to each other. Opie uses thick black lines to draw the boats, a characteristic feature of the artist’s visual language. While many of the artist’s artworks are marked by his use of bright and bold, flat colours, this artwork is void of colour. The black and white scene is imbued with a sense of calm. The water upon which the boats float is completely flat and no people are captured within the composition. The viewer’s attention is focussed on the two boats and the way they inhabit their natural environment.

The print is part of Opie’s Nature 2 collection which features 6 monochrome lenticular prints, all of which are rendered in black and white and show scenes inspired by nature and the natural landscape.

Opie’s artworks are immediately recognisable due to his distinct artistic style, characterised by his use of thick black lines filled with solid, flat colour. Opie’s style was influenced by other contemporary artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein who experimented with various printing techniques and sought to challenge what could be considered ‘fine art’.