Lucinda Devlin

Lucinda Devlin’s color photographs of objects, machines, and unpeopled interiors explore and critique contemporary American culture. Devlin is particularly interested in sites of oppressive control, such as prisons and zoos, as well as transient cultures, illness, and consumerism. “I have found that spatial settings can provide unique cultural readings on how spaces, objects, and artifacts can construct meaning,” she says. Devlin’s meticulous compositions, often symmetrical or centrally aligned, play with vibrant colors and the surface textures of objects. For “The Omega Suites” (1991), she traveled around the U.S. documenting execution rooms. By photographing the machines and objects associated with capital punishment, Devlin presents a comprehensive picture of the death penalty, not a critical polemic but rather a visual manifestation of her obsessive fascination.