The bland plays on
Opie's last show at the Lisson Gallery three years ago featured his characteristically flat panel portraits, block sculptures on which there were more colourfully drawn figures, and a few dull pictures of motorways. As always, the figures were fun, though you wished he'd leave off the 'Highway Code' diagrams.
Since then he's been busy with commissions from Selfridges to Sadler's Wells, and, perhaps as a result, his return to the Lisson looks like one big glitzy, corporate affair.
A blast of guitar solo greets you in one room, LED figures - the type you see on huge, animated billboards - walk, undress and pose, LCD screens flash with more of the same, and one pert female appears, with only the slightest adjustment of position, dressed one second and nude the next.
The show features three characters, Bryan, Sara and Monique. Bryan turns out to be Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, Sara a model with an agency that specialises in 'alternative looks', and Monique a flashy Swiss art collector.
Bryan strikes a rock pose with his guitar (the guitar solo, by the way, has been 'specially composed' by him), but frankly this blank, bubbleheaded outline could be of just about anybody. And this could be said for each of them.
What made Opie's iconic Blur portraits so good was that, with just a few succinct marks, you got instantly recognisable Pop portraits full of character. Opie nowadays has more cash and more flash, and that's about all. Fisun G¸ner
Until April 14, Lisson Gallery, 52-54 Bell Street NW1, Mon to Fri 10am to 6pm, Sat 11am to 5pm, free. Tel: 020 7724 2739. Tube: Edgware Road
