April 21, 2017

17th Annual Axline Lecture: Photographer Catherine Opie

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) and The San Diego Museum of Art To Present 17th Annual Axline Lecture Featuring Photographer Catherine Opie. Long-standing collaboration brings internationally acclaimed artists to San Diego

San Diego, CA—The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) and The San Diego Museum of Art will present internationally renowned photographer Catherine Opie as the featured speaker for the 17th annual Axline Lecture on Thursday, May 11, at the Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall, located at 5775 Morehouse Drive, San Diego, CA 92121.

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Catherine Opie’s work both documents and gives voice to America’s communities and the landscapes they inhabit. Working between conceptual and documentary approaches to image making, Opie examines familiar genres—portraiture, landscape, and studio photography—with surprising uses of serial images, unexpected compositions, and the pursuit of radically different subject matter.

In her photography, Opie represents various types of communities: the people, places, and issues that bind us together. As such, her landscapes of mini-malls, freeways, and residential neighborhoods are similar to her portraits of friends, family, athletes, and club members. Opie presents her subjects with a formal clarity that often references art history, from 20th-century photography to 16th-century portraiture.

Opie came to prominence in the 1990s with portraits of her friends and lovers in the queer community. These intimate and direct portraits were followed by a series of subtly toned views of sweeping freeway overpasses. As much as these two bodies of work differ in content, they remind us, as do all of Opie’s subsequent works, of ways in which we are interdependent.

The Axline Lecture will begin at 7 PM and is preceded by a special reception for Patron-level Members and above of both institutions at 6 PM. The Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall is located at 5775 Morehouse Drive, San Diego, CA 92121. Tickets to the lecture are $5 for Members of MCASD and The San Diego Museum of Art, students, seniors, and military personnel; $10 for non-members. Tickets will be available to the general public beginning April 24, 2017 by visiting http://www.mcasd.org/events/upcoming-events.

Since 2000, MCASD and The San Diego Museum of Art have partnered to present the annual Axline Lecture in honor of Jackie and Rea Axline, long-time trustees and supporters of both museums who bequeathed generous endowments to both institutions in 1999. Hosted in alternate years by each museum, this annual event offers an opportunity to thank current museum Members, donors, and supporters.

Previous Axline Lectures have featured artists Sebastião Salgado (2016); Alfredo Jaar (2014); sculptor Charles Ray (2013); former director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Philippe de Montebello (2012); South African artist William Kentridge (2011); architect, Picasso scholar, and author John Richardson (2009); artist Maya Lin (2008); artist Richard Serra (2006); and art critic Roberta Smith (2004).

About The San Diego Museum of Art
The San Diego Museum of Art is located at 1450 El Prado in Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101. General Information, 619 232 7931, Group Sales: 619 696 1935, SDMArt.org. Providing a rich and diverse cultural experience, The San Diego Museum of Art houses some of the world’s finest art. Located in the heart of Balboa Park, the Museum’s nationally renowned collections include Spanish and Italian old masters, South Asian paintings including the Edwin Binney 3rd Collection of Indian paintings, East Asian art, and 19th and 20th century American paintings and sculptures. The Museum regularly features major exhibitions of art from around the world, as well as an extensive year-round schedule supporting cultural and educational programs for children and adults. At The San Diego Museum of Art, exhibition text is always in English and Spanish.

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART SAN DIEGO
Founded in 1941, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) is the preeminent contemporary visual arts institution in San Diego County. The Museum’s collection includes more than 4,700 works of art created since 1950. In addition to presenting exhibitions by international contemporary artists, the Museum serves thousands of children and adults annually at its varied education programs, and offers a rich program of film, performance, and lectures. MCASD is a private, nonprofit organization, with 501(c)3 tax-exempt status; it is supported by generous contributions and grants from MCASD Members and other individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies. Kathryn Kanjo is The David C. Copley Director and CEO at MCASD. www.mcasd.org

Institutional support for MCASD is provided by the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture.