Julian Opie's Black White and green and yellow, from people standing, sold for £19,050 at the Phillips Evening & Day Editions auction in London on 17-18 January 2024. Opie, a British sculptor, painter and digital artist, is known for creating portraits in which he reduces his subjects to essential color planes and thick outlined silhouettes. His use of technology has led him to create many public projects around the world, ranging from installations in New York City parks to buildings in Tokyo. On our cover, Opie used lenticular technology – the process of using special lenses to create the illusion of depth and movement – to depict his four figures.

Opie takes his inspiration from hieroglyphics, traffic signs, Japanese woodblock prints and classical portraits. Many in the entertainment world have been drawn to his distinctive style, including British pop group Blur, who commissioned him to design the cover of their 'Blur: The Best Of (2000)' album. The cover, which featured portraits of the four band members, is now on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London. In 2006, the band U2 commissioned Opie to create an LED projection for their Vertigo World Tour. Today, he is considered a pioneer of the New British Sculpture movement,

Some of our other favorites from the Phillips Evening & Day Editions auction in London on 17-18 January 2024 are featured throughout this issue.