Catherine Opie
CATHERINE OPIE "30 MINUTES AFTER INAUGURATION" 2009
Catherine Opie (b. 1961) is a renowned American photographer best known for her bold portraits, mysterious landscapes, and thought-provoking explorations of identity, community, gender, and societal norms.
This photograph is from a larger series, Inauguration, that Opie captured during the inauguration of 44th US President Barack Obama. Consisting of one hundred photographs taken over three days, the series is quietly observant, capturing the complexity of emotions surrounding the political event.
Rather than focusing on Obama himself, Opie turned to the attendees and environment as her subjects. She shifts the typical emphasis from elite political figures to a collective experience of civic participation and national identity.
While some photographs from the series depict excited crowds, others feature the melancholic, subdued moments after the ceremony--a narrative not often presented by mainstream media. "30 Minutes After Inauguration" conveys the sheer volume of people that once occupied the now vacant National Mall. Trash litters trampled grass in the foreground, with people dissipating the scene. The frenetic hope once present now given way to reality as those onlookers return to their everyday lives . In the far distance stands the Washington Monument, a somber presence looming over this foggy, almost apocalyptic image.
Loaded with details, like the ghost of an airplane in the upper left side, this photograph rewards viewers who take their time to not only absorb the visual information but their implications as well.
Along with the entire series, "30 Minutes After Inauguration" questions notions of belonging, visibility, and the ways in which history is witnessed, remembered, and recorded. Standing as a vital document of a transformative moment in American history, Opie's Inauguration demonstrates the depth, sensitivity, and democratic spirit that are characteristic of her practice.
Opie's work is celebrated in public collections across the globe including the National Portrait Gallery (London), Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York), and the Museum of Fine Art (Boston), among others.
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"30 Minutes After Inauguration"
USA, 2009
Chromogenic print (C-print)
Signed, titled, dated, and numbered in ink, verso
From an edition of 25
12.5"H 19"W (image)
16"H 20"W (sheet)
20.5"H 26.75"W (framed)
Very good condition.
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