Artist talk: Catherine Opie in conversation

11 Jul 2023 6.30-7pm

Overview

Internationally renowned photographer Catherine Opie discusses the influence of painting on her practice and her portraits of leading British artists, including David Hockney, Isaac Julien and Gillian Wearing.

American photographer Catherine Opie talks about the connections between historic and contemporary painting and photography within her practice. She will be in conversation with Rebecca Lyons, Director of Collections & Learning at the RA.

Over a three-decade career, Opie’s practice has explored notions of identity, community, sexuality and belonging. Sometimes described as “social portraiture”, her work encompasses a wide variety of subjects from portraits and seascapes to domestic scenes and deserted freeways, and has established her status as one of the foremost documentarians of contemporary life.

Five of Opie’s portraits of leading British artists will be featured in a new display in our Collection Gallery. She draws on the theatricality of 17th-century Baroque paintings to depict Gillian Wearing, Anish Kapoor, Isaac Julien, David Hockney and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye.

In this conversation, Opie discusses her continuing dialogue with the Western artistic canon and the geopolitical, cultural, and historical narratives in her work.

Catherine Opie: Portraits of Artists will be on display in the Collection Gallery at the Royal Academy from 17 June – 3 December 2023.

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