You see an office building. 2 1996

Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by the feeling of isolation. These simplified building facades almost feel like tombstones. Editor: This is Julian Opie's "You see an office building. 2," part of the Tate Collection. These aren't just paintings, though. They’re large, freestanding constructions—almost minimalist sculptures using building facades as their motif. I wonder what sort of material contributes to their presence? Curator: The uniformity speaks to the anonymity of modern urban life, doesn't it? Each building a symbol of relentless productivity, yet stripped bare of any individual character. Editor: Right, and the flatness of the surfaces combined with the dimensionality really plays with the idea of the readymade; perhaps Opie is highlighting the mass production of modern architecture itself. Curator: It’s interesting how Opie uses stark lines to evoke a sense of both order and detachment, reflecting a kind of coldness associated with corporate power. Editor: Absolutely, and considering the labor involved in constructing these pieces, it is impossible not to draw a contrast with the slick, effortless image they project. Curator: I find I’m now questioning the kind of cultural memory we assign to these commonplace structures. Editor: And I am left pondering the relationship between the material world and the streamlined representation Opie is giving us.