The Gang (1990)

Catherine Opie

C-print

Classification:

Installation, Photograph

Materials:

C-type photographic print

Physical Object Description:

Black and white group portrait

Dimensions:

20.3 x 20.3 cm

Credit:

Presented by the Contemporary Art Society with the support of the Walker Art Gallery, 2014

Scheme:

Fine Art Acquisition Scheme (2008-)

Ownership history:

Purchased from the Stephen Friedman Gallery, London by the Contemporary Art Society, with support of the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, 15 January 2014; presented to Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, 2013/14

Relationship:

Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, New York Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

Subject:

Identity, LGBT, Portraits, Group

Opie came to critical attention in the early 1990s with a body of portraits of gay, lesbian and transgendered men and women drawn from her circle of fellow artists and intimates in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Working across a wide range of subjects, from LA freeways and house facades to high school football players, surfers in Malibu and ice fishers in Minneapolis, Opie explores notions of identity and community and the way they shape one another.

The Gang is part of Opie's Girlfriends series, black-and-white square-format photographs she made in the 1980s and 90s documenting what she refers to as ‘these little moments of sexy desire and memory’. The Gang is one of the more light-hearted photographs in the series, and is an ideal work to address the Walker Art Gallery’s ambition to collect work related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered themes and communities.

All rights reserved. Any further use will need to be cleared with the rights holder. Permission granted to reproduce for personal and educational use only. Commercial copying, hiring, lending is prohibited. The collection that owns this artwork may have more information on their own website about permitted uses and image licensing options.

For further information, please consult our section of our copyright policy.