Catherine Opie
dal 27/4/2002 al 21/7/2002
Segnalato da
27/4/2002
Catherine Opie
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
Opie's American cities series explores the historical specificity of architectures that are often taken for granted. Her take on the Twin Cities' vernacular landscape has resulted in 26 panoramic black-and-white images of skyways as well as 14 large-format color images of ice-fishing houses.
SKYWAYS & ICEHOUSES
Exhibition
GALLERY 7
Since the late 1980s, Catherine Opie's interest in the motif of the visual road trip has resulted in photographic series that simultaneously
document and question personal and collective identities that characterize America. For the past two winters, as the Walker's 2001 Visual
Arts artist-in-residence, she has focused on two specific architectural elements in and around the Twin Cities: ice-fishing houses and
skyways.
Working from the traditions established by such master photographers as Eugene Atget, Edward Weston, and
Robert Frank, Opie is well versed in the medium's ability to reveal those signs in the built environment that shape
people's sense of belonging. Her city series first focused on the hidden aesthetic language of Los Angeles
mini-malls and the architectural feats of freeway overpasses. As a keen survey of history, her photographs of St.
Louis, Missouri, address the contrast between the city's aspirations for urban development once envisioned in the
1904 St. Louis World's Fair and the realization of urban sprawl that has since displaced the downtown area. Her
most recent works about New York's Wall Street District, finished shortly before September 11, should also
prove historic.
Opie's American cities series explores the historical specificity of architectures
that are often taken for granted. Her take on the Twin Cities' vernacular
landscape has resulted in 26 panoramic black-and-white images of skyways
as well as 14 large-format color images of ice-fishing houses. As a
photographic project, Catherine Opie: Skyways & Icehouses provides a
meditative portrait of this particular locale. The catalogue accompanying the exhibition features selected
submissions by Minnesota residents who have had particular experiences with and in these local icons. Their
short essays animate Opie's empty landscapes with personal anecdotes, memories, poems, and stories.
The artist was recently the focus of solo exhibitions at the Photographer's Gallery, London, and the St. Louis Art
Museum. She teaches photography at the University of California, Los Angeles. Two works from her series on
lesbian families and their domestic spaces are recent additions to the Walker's permanent collection.
Image: Catherine Opie, Untitled, #1-4 (Skyways) 2001
IN THE WALKER ART CENTER SHOPS
CATHERINE OPIE: SKYWAYS & ICEHOUSES
The Walker-produced exhibition catalogue, featuring color and black-and-white reproductions of Opie's latest series of work on the
landscape of American cities, includes an introduction by curator Douglas Fogle and selected writings by Minnesota residents. Softcover:
$24.95 ($22.46 Walker members).
RELATED EVENTS
ARTIST TALK: CATHERINE OPIE
SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2 PM, FREE WITH GALLERY ADMISSION
Opie discusses her work, and area actors read from stories submitted by local writers about skyways and icehouses.
Walker Art Center
725 Vineland Place
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403