Catherine Opie’s photographic oeuvre captures American urban landscapes following the tradition of social documentary. Since garnering attention in the early 1990s for her arresting portraits of her friends and partners in the gay, lesbian, and transsexual community, Opie’s work has moved across genres to capture the diversity of American life. Interested in what she calls “temporary communities” or communities formed around common interest or ways of life, Opie approaches her subject matter with deep sincerity and with a clarity of form. Using a pared down and straightforward visual language, Opie’s photographs resonate with a gravitas, its rigor matched by its richness.
