"Fundamental to her work is an exploration, as a queer woman and as a documentarian photographer, of the nuanced, multifarious nature of identity, most prominently in LGBTQ+ communities, but also far beyond them. She has committed from her earliest mature images to the idea that, as she has phrased it, "Without representation, there is no visibility"-a belief that remains more vital than ever in the US and across the world in the 2020s."
"And that visibility is manifest not just in the portraiture for which Opie is best known, but also in the central place that architecture and interiors play in her work. She repeatedly calls our attention to the juxtaposition of the built environment and the construction of bodies and identities. Catherine Opie's Untitled #3 (Norway Mountain) (2024) © Catherine Opie. Courtesy Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London"
"Opie documents her surroundings in the fullest sense: she depicts the people she loves, knows and meets; the spaces they occupy; and the broader physical and social environment around them. Ultimately, she hopes, through encountering her art, viewers will gain a better understanding of humanity in all its complexity."
Catherine Opie has spent over three decades creating photographic portraits, cityscapes, and landscapes that engage social and political tensions in the United States while expressing a personal response to people and community. Her work centers on exploring identity, particularly within LGBTQ+ communities, and asserts that representation is essential for visibility. Portraiture, architecture, and interiors recur as subjects to show how built environments shape bodies and identities. Opie records loved ones, acquaintances, and broader surroundings to reveal complex human realities and to encourage viewers toward a deeper understanding of social and personal belonging.
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