While viewing this image, visitors responded to one of the questions Catherine Opie posed about portraits.


  • What do you think makes a portrait interesting?

  • How do the titles of these photographs make you think differently about the people they portray?

  • Some of these images are made spontaneously while others are carefully staged by the artist. How does this difference in approach affect your response?


In the context of all picture/images this full length domestic portrait exemplifies the clear confusion in her life that the artist admits to and shows in other images. Many of the images, especially self portraits shout out "Who am I?" This image suggests maybe this is who I wanted to be. - seeking identity with conventional society. Seeking her place in society is probably another unstated theme and her stated choice of alignment maybe a challenge rather than a statement of literal truth.

-Brad


_____________________________________

Katy Grannan, Ghent, NY (from Dream America), 2000. Chromogenic print, 45 x 35 1/2 inches (114.3 x 90.2 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Gift, Heather and Tony Podesta Collection 2003.113
To read more about Catherine Opie's work, visit Catherine Opie: American Photographer