Catherine Opie's 'Holding Blue' at Regen Projects: From Leather Dungeon to Norwegian Mountains
Regen Projects in Los Angeles is currently showcasing Catherine Opie's exhibition titled 'Holding Blue,' which will be open until July 3, 2026. Opie, known for her impactful self-portraits since the 1990s, has shifted her focus to stunning large-scale photos of Norway's mountains, taken during a two-month trip in early 2024. These works are influenced by her Ohio upbringing and the tranquil 'blue hour' over Lake Erie. This marks a departure from her earlier, more confrontational approach to art, embracing peaceful landscapes that embody the Norwegian concept of 'Bergtatt,' meaning enchanted by mountains. Alongside her photographs, small ceramic mountain sculptures are also featured. In a recent interview with DAZED, she emphasized her desire to foster empathy rather than anger. The exhibit is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 6750 Santa Monica Boulevard.
Key facts
- Catherine Opie's 'Holding Blue' is on view at Regen Projects in Los Angeles through July 3, 2026.
- The exhibition features monumental alpine photographs taken during a two-month road trip along Norway's mountains in early 2024.
- Opie was inspired by memories of her Ohio childhood and the blue haze over Lake Erie.
- The images are divided into 'Cliché' and 'Vernacular' groupings.
- Opie is the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Endowed Chair in Art and a Professor of Photography at UCLA.
- She received the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art Medal in 2016 and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2019.
- The exhibition also includes small ceramic renderings of mountains.
- Opie commented on her shift toward empathy in a recent DAZED interview (March 4, 2026).
Entities
Artists
Institutions
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Norway
- Lake Erie
- Ohio