Suzanne walking and Julian Walking
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Suzanne walking and Julian walking are two full-height animated walking portraits, rendered for transmission on LED screen by the British artist Julian Opie. They are installed on opposite ends of the pedestrian-only Northern Avenue Bridge along its outer edge. The bridge crosses Boston's Fort Point Channel and is at the edge of the city's inner harbor. It is used by hundreds of Boston's visitors and downtown commuters every day, and can be seen by boat traffic from the water sheet. Known for a characteristically graphic style, the world-renowned Opie uses computer rendering programs to distill images down to their essential elements. Borrowing from the language of traffic signs and logos, Opie blends generic representation with the sensitive placement of idiosyncratic details that reinforce the individual personalities of the portrait subjects. While Suzanne walking and Julian walking are depicted with simple outlines, the particular movements of the subject's strides are captured with remarkable realism, resulting in a mesmerizing tension between the personal and the impersonal. Scheduled to be on view for a full year, "Julian walking" and "Suzanne walking" help to celebrate Boston's strength as a pedestrian-friendly city, and the increasing activity in and around its seaport district.