Name: Imagine You Are Driving (Fast) /Olivier
Brand: Julian Opie
Rating: 4.9 (197 reviews)

Meaning & Analysis

Characteristic of the artist’s minimalist graphic style, Imagine You Are Driving (Fast)/Olivier is a print from Julian Opie’s Imagine You Are Driving (Fast) series from 2002. This print shows a landscape view of a racetrack alongside a portrait image of Formula 1 driver Olivier Panis. In this series, Opie brings the world of Formula 1 into the art world to create an unusual juxtaposition that challenges normative representation.

Working from digital photographs Opie develops his images from his immediate personal experience but depersonalises through the use of simplified form and new computer technology. This depersonalisation of the image works to offer the viewer not a representation of life but a commodity, that of being able to make their own individual imaginative journey within this scene.

Opie has spoken of the subversive and imaginative qualities to his work saying, “I think my work is about trying to be happy… I want the world to seem like the kind of place you’d want to escape into... Mundane things are just as exciting as all the things you might imagine escaping into.” Imagine You Are Driving (Fast)/Olivier transforms the world of Formula 1 into an otherworldly realm that resembles a video game, offering the viewer a sense of escapism and possibility.

Julian Opie's signed artwork, "Imagine You Are Driving (Fast) /Olivier/Helmet" from 2002, is estimated to be worth between £2,950 and £4,450. This digital print has seen a total of 5 sales at auction to date, with the first sale recorded on 10th November 2020. The hammer price has varied, reaching a high of £5,705 on 10th November 2020 and a low of £3,518 on 13th October 2021. The average return to the seller over the last five years has been £3,439, despite an average annual growth rate of -16%. Over the past 12 months, the average selling price has been £3,740. The edition size of this artwork is limited to just 40 pieces.
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.