OnTheCusp.org

Opie to Indy

Julian Opie, Sara Walking, Bruce Walking, Installation view from exhibition sponsored by The Public Art Fund in New York

The Arts Council of Indianapolis announced this morning a public exhibition by British artist Julian Opie. This is the second of what will hopefully by many major public exhibitions hosted by the city and the Arts Council. Last year Tom Otterness kicked off the series and was widely embraced by the city. Opie will have 10 installations, four of which are never before seen pieces that will debut in Indy.

I like this quote by Opie in the Arts Council press release linked above:

Indianapolis has offered me a great opportunity to make an outdoor exhibition in the downtown area.” said Julian Opie. “I will be showing some older works and a lot of new projects especially made for this venue. While I am familiar with the East and West coasts of the United States, the Midwest has remained a mythical unknown territory for me. It’s a classic America only known to me through film and TV - a big sky, long rivers, basketball, rock stadiums, corn fields and pioneers. I feel I come to Indianapolis as a welcome stranger driving into town where both my work and I are still anonymous and undefined. I hope this will allow the art to take on new meanings brought to them from the particular character of Indianapolis and the reactions of the people who live and visit there.

I'll post more on Opie later but let me start by saying this is a huge step for Indy. I find Julian's work as accessible as Otterness yet much more challenging. The perfect segue to bigger and better things for our little town.

Scroll down to read the announcement in the New York Times here (but don't skip the part about the Art and Nature Park at the IMA).

And the Star gave this front page coverage this morning as well (also includes the IMA).