Julian Opie Running People: Elvis For Sale

About this work

Julian Opie has established himself as one of the most recognizable figures in contemporary British art, known for his reductive visual language that distills the human form into bold, graphic essentials. His work occupies a distinctive position at the intersection of fine art, public sculpture, and digital culture, with pieces held in major institutional collections including the Tate, MoMA, and the National Portrait Gallery in London. Opie's market presence remains robust, supported by consistent institutional exhibitions and strong collector demand across both primary and secondary channels. Running People: Elvis belongs to Opie's ongoing exploration of figures in motion, a thematic concern that has occupied the artist for over two decades. This series examines the universal act of running, rendered through Opie's characteristic style of simplified contours and flat planes of color. The work transforms an anonymous human gesture into something simultaneously personal and archetypal—the title "Elvis" lending individual identity to what might otherwise be a generic silhouette. Executed in anodised aluminium and mounted on a Corian base, this sculpture demonstrates Opie's facility with industrial materials, which he employs to achieve the clean precision central to his aesthetic. The modest scale of the work—just under two feet in height—allows for intimate engagement while retaining the monumental quality inherent in his larger public commissions. As an edition of twenty, the work offers collectors access to Opie's sculptural practice within a controlled production that maintains long-term value. Guy Hepner welcomes inquiries regarding the acquisition of this work.