Amazon cover image
Image from Amazon.com

Catherine Opie : to be seen / edited by Clare Freestone ; with contributions from Mark Godfrey, Magdalene Keaney & Alistair O'Neill ; featuring an essay by Joan Didion.

By: Contributor(s): Publication details: London : National Portrait Gallery, 2026.Description: 191 pages : illustrations ; 29 cmISBN:
  • 9781855148307
Subject(s):
Contents:
Catherine Opie: a social portrait / Clare Freestone -- QUEER PERSPECTIVES: Being and having / Alistair O'Neill -- MAPPING A COMMUNITY: Catherine Opie's photographic cartography / Magdalene Keaney -- NATIONAL IDENTITY, NATIONAL PORTRAITS: On the road / Joan Didion -- VISIBILITY: Intense / Opaque / Mark Godfrey -- WITHIN: OPIE IN THE GALLERY / Catherine Opie and Katy Barkan in conversation
Summary: Contemporary artist Catherine Opie documents the ebb and flow of human culture. Opie's photography redefines portraiture, probing the complex questions of who we are, how we present ourselves, and why representation matters. Catherine Opie is one of the most influential artists of our time, and through her portrait photography she conveys a sense of shared humanity and beauty. At the core of Opie’s work is a persistent exploration of the evolving ideas around community, identity, and belonging, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. Opie’s wide-ranging portraits include intimate studio shots of friends and figures, capturing moments of vulnerability, pride, and resilience. Alongside these, she creates socially engaged documentary narratives, such as her images from the inauguration of Barack Obama. These photographs work in dialogue with one another to create new narratives, challenging viewers to reflect on the figures most commonly portrayed in art and those who go unseen. This publication accompanies the exhibition Catherine Opie: To Be Seen at the National Portrait Gallery, developed in close collaboration with the artist. It raises vital questions about representation. Through her meticulously crafted studio portraits and domestic frameworks, Opie invites viewers to reflect on the diversity of identity and the enduring search for community and acceptance.
List(s) this item appears in: Women's History Month 2026
Holdings
Cover image Item type Current library Home library Collection Shelving location Call number Materials specified Vol info URL Copy number Status Notes Date due Barcode Item holds Item hold queue priority Course reserves
Book CGLAS Library Monographs Room OPI (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 13546

Published on the occasion of the exhibition held at the National Portrait Gallery, London, 5 March - 31 May 2026.

Includes bibliographical references (p.187).

Catherine Opie: a social portrait / Clare Freestone -- QUEER PERSPECTIVES: Being and having / Alistair O'Neill -- MAPPING A COMMUNITY: Catherine Opie's photographic cartography / Magdalene Keaney -- NATIONAL IDENTITY, NATIONAL PORTRAITS: On the road / Joan Didion -- VISIBILITY: Intense / Opaque / Mark Godfrey -- WITHIN: OPIE IN THE GALLERY / Catherine Opie and Katy Barkan in conversation

Contemporary artist Catherine Opie documents the ebb and flow of human culture. Opie's photography redefines portraiture, probing the complex questions of who we are, how we present ourselves, and why representation matters. Catherine Opie is one of the most influential artists of our time, and through her portrait photography she conveys a sense of shared humanity and beauty. At the core of Opie’s work is a persistent exploration of the evolving ideas around community, identity, and belonging, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. Opie’s wide-ranging portraits include intimate studio shots of friends and figures, capturing moments of vulnerability, pride, and resilience. Alongside these, she creates socially engaged documentary narratives, such as her images from the inauguration of Barack Obama. These photographs work in dialogue with one another to create new narratives, challenging viewers to reflect on the figures most commonly portrayed in art and those who go unseen. This publication accompanies the exhibition Catherine Opie: To Be Seen at the National Portrait Gallery, developed in close collaboration with the artist. It raises vital questions about representation. Through her meticulously crafted studio portraits and domestic frameworks, Opie invites viewers to reflect on the diversity of identity and the enduring search for community and acceptance.