“I’m very concerned with what it is to be a woman, as well as queer woman right now”
has paved the way for younger generations to use their own voice in the fight for human rights. As an LGBTQ+ elder who has been at the frontlines throughout her career, Opie understands the revolution is not a one-time event but an ongoing series of battles that require us to stay the course. “We need to keep showing up,” she tells AnOther.
Between the perils of climate change, legislation against trans people, criminalisation of abortion, expansion of gun rights, and militarisation of the police, systems of power are acting in concert against citizens of the United States. As an artist and an educator, Opie has been no stranger to the fight, using photography to challenge the dominant narratives of society at large as well as within the medium itself.
“I came into it as a social documentary photographer who was not able to stay within the realm of how it’s defined,” says Opie, who grew up during the golden age of picture magazines, when photography was almost exclusively the provenance of white men. Although Opie was trained in the tradition of Walker Evans and Robert Frank, she broke away from the academy to pursue her own path, adopting a multi-faceted approach to the exploration of identity.© Catherine Opie.
It is a question worth asking at a time when the radical right usurps power on its relentless quest to oppress and exploit the most vulnerable and marginalised communities. While many fall prey to the “divide and conquer” strategy of the culture wars, Opie looks to the collective for solidarity in times of strife. “It’s about fighting for humanity and the recognition that difference is important for a full, democratic society,” she says.
In showing up the world through her eyes, Opie invites us to consider the relationship we hold as a member of the collective. “Being an elder, it is my responsibility to remind people that there’s enormous amounts of tragedy happening in the world and unfortunately that’s part of the human condition,” she says.
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