Name: We Swam Amongst The Fishes - Version 2
Brand: Julian Opie
Rating: 5 (233 reviews)

Track auction value trend

Julian Opie's We Swam Amongst The Fishes - Version 2 (signed) from 2003, a rare screenprint, is estimated to be worth between £4,500 and £7,000. This artwork has been sold once at auction on 5th December 2012. The current owner has held the work for 0. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 3.

Auction Date

Auction House

Location

Hammer Price

Return to Seller

Buyer Paid

December 2012

Christie's London

United Kingdom

Meaning & Analysis

We Swam Amongst The Fishes - Version 2 is a signed screen print made by the critically acclaimed British artist Julian Opie in 2003. Coming in a limited edition size of three the print shows an underwater scene full of fish swimming around. The fish depicted in this print all belong to different species and differ in shape and size. The fish are rendered in black and white and set against a plain blue backdrop.

This print captures the essence of Opie’s visual language which is characterised by his use of simplified shapes, thick outlines and flat, block colours. While Opie is best known for his drawings of faceless human figures, often captured walking through cities like London, New York and Melbourne, the artist has also produced artworks featuring animals, such as his Small Birds collection.

We Swam Amongst The Fishes - Version 2 belongs to Opie’s We Swam Amongst The Fishes collection which features a set of large-scale prints showing various species of fish swimming in open spaces of water. Opie created the artworks in this collection using digital photographs which he uploaded onto a computer and then edited, reducing the images to pure surface and line, in order to question how images are perceived and understood by the viewer.

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.