Questions about what defines a person, what influences shape their character, how it is possible to break free from the determining influences of society, and what alternative lifestyles could be realistic options are all questions that form the core framework of Catherine Opie’s artistic practice. Since the early 1990s, the artist has been working on a complex body of work that includes photographs in particular, but also films, art books, and installations. Beyond the norm, it points to a variety of possible responses. Born in 1961 in Sandusky, Ohio, and now living in Los Angeles, Opie draws on the traditions of 20th-century socially engaged photography while at the same time giving it a far-sighted, sensitive update. In so doing, she establishes her own unique visual language and aesthetic, which—together with the social relevance of her themes—contributes to her being one of the most influential figures of the present day. Indeed, it is against this backdrop that Opie held a professorship in photography at the University of California, Los Angeles, from 2001 to 2023.
The Fridericianum is now presenting Catherine Opie’s first institutional solo exhibition in Germany, concurrently with the artist’s show at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The presentation in Kassel is designed by the artist as a site-specific installation in which she enters into a dialogue with the architecture and history of the historic building. On display are key series of works spanning a period of over thirty years: from early portrait photographs in the LGBTQIA+ communities to photographic series that explore landscapes as resonant spaces for identity, hopes, and traumas, and from documentation of movements such as Black Lives Matter to protest marches in the context of Donald Trump’s presidency.