Catherine Opie

American, b. 1961

2.1k followers

Catherine Opie

Bio

American, b. 1961

Followers
2.1k
Biography

Catherine Opie raised eyebrows with her early 1990s studio portraits of gay, lesbian, and transgendered men and women associated with California’s sadomasochist leather subculture. Most jarring were two self-portraits showing self-inflicted wounds, respectively forming a child-like image of a house and two women holding hands (Cutting, 1993) and the word “pervert” carved into her skin (Pervert, 1994). For all the provocation, however, Opie’s work contains elements of documentary and classicism, and seeks empathy with its subjects. For instance, the 1995 marriage portraits she shot in homes across the country exposed the public to the poignancy of female domestic partnerships. The theme of inclusion versus exclusion runs throughout her ongoing exploration of communal, sexual, and cultural identities, which takes the form of cityscapes, landscapes, and even depictions of football games, along with her signature portraits.

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Career Highlights
Learn more about artist insights.
Blue chip status
Blue chip representation
Represented by internationally reputable galleries.
User
Solo show at a major institution
Guggenheim Museum, and 5 more
Group
Group show at a major institution
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and 12 more
Institution
Collected by a major institution
Tate, and 2 more
Publication
Reviewed by a major art publication
Artforum, and 5 more
Fair
Included in a major biennial
Bienal de Sao Paulo, and 3 more
Biography

Catherine Opie raised eyebrows with her early 1990s studio portraits of gay, lesbian, and transgendered men and women associated with California’s sadomasochist leather subculture. Most jarring were two self-portraits showing self-inflicted wounds, respectively forming a child-like image of a house and two women holding hands (Cutting, 1993) and the word “pervert” carved into her skin (Pervert, 1994). For all the provocation, however, Opie’s work contains elements of documentary and classicism, and seeks empathy with its subjects. For instance, the 1995 marriage portraits she shot in homes across the country exposed the public to the poignancy of female domestic partnerships. The theme of inclusion versus exclusion runs throughout her ongoing exploration of communal, sexual, and cultural identities, which takes the form of cityscapes, landscapes, and even depictions of football games, along with her signature portraits.

Career Highlights
Learn more about artist insights.
Blue chip status
Blue chip representation
Represented by internationally reputable galleries.
User
Solo show at a major institution
Guggenheim Museum, and 5 more
Group
Group show at a major institution
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and 12 more
Institution
Collected by a major institution
Tate, and 2 more
Publication
Reviewed by a major art publication
Artforum, and 5 more
Fair
Included in a major biennial
Bienal de Sao Paulo, and 3 more
Articles Featuring Catherine Opie
Inside My Collection: Pete Scantland
Apr 29th, 2021
Inside My Collection: Pete Scantland
14 Artists on the Importance of Portraying Queer Love
Jun 3rd, 2020
14 Artists on the Importance of Portraying Queer Love
What Sold at Frieze New York Online
May 12th, 2020
What Sold at Frieze New York Online
Queer Art, Gay Pride, and the Stonewall Riots—50 Years Later
Jun 3rd, 2019
Queer Art, Gay Pride, and the Stonewall Riots—50 Years Later
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