Lisa Oppenheim (b. 1975) is known for producing work that reaches back into the creative archive and gives new life to forgotten projects from years ago. The artist uses libraries, collections and online repositories to form the basis of her practice. The result is often a resurrection of photographs by iconic artists that never made it into exhibitions or galleries.
The latest piece is now on display at MUDAM. Commissioned especially for the gallery, this new body of work responds to the creative practice of Edward Steichen, who was a leading figure in 20th century lens-based photography. Steichen served as director of photography at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, between 1947 and 1962 and was responsible for more than 50 shows in the role. However, many aspects of his illustrious career have been lost to time.
Oppenheim focuses on these peripheral works. The exhi- bition take inspiration from Steichen’s paintings, which were abandoned and largely destroyed in the 1920s. Also featured is the artist’s lifelong passion for flowers, particularly delphiniums, as well as his textile designs. A series of photographic prints revive an iris named “Monsieur Steichen”, created by a botanist in 1910 as a tribute to the artist. Oppenheim made these pieces using dye transfer printing, a method used in Steichen’s colour experiments during the 1930s and 1940s. As visitors move through the exhibition, fabrics decorated with floral patterns and abstract photographs pay homage to designs that were devised but not publicly used.
The show may give attention to the lesser-known areas of Steichen’s oeuvre, but it remains true to his creative spirit. Oppenheim said: “I plan to do what Steichen did throughout his own long life: inhabit his tendency to ingest and reconstitute a wide range of practices and ideas and in that way hopefully expand an understanding of what it is to be a cultural producer.” Monsieur Steichen is an insightful and thoughtful tribute to one of the most enigmatic figures of 20th century art.
Lisa Oppenheim: Monsieur Steichen | MUDAM, Luxembourg | Until 24 August
Words: Emma Jacob
Image credits:
1. Lisa Oppenheim, in collaboration with Zoe Latta. Textile design, 2024.
2. Lisa Oppenheim, in collaboration with Zoe Latta Textile design, 2024-2.
