David Opdyke

David Opdyke is a draughtsman and sculptor known for his trenchant political send-ups of American culture. Working as an architectural model maker, Opdyke had a political awakening in the early 2000s. Confronted by the horror of September 11th and America's subsequent wars, Opdyke put his technical background to use, forming critiques of Bush-era ideology. His hyperrealistic topographical models of American suburbs comment on mall culture and suburban sprawl, while his sculptures of ruined monuments mock imperialistic hubris. In these works, symbols of power and American exceptionalism, such as an astronaut and the Capitol building, are reduced to crumbling, pathetic miniatures. Opdyke's work has been exhibited at venues including the Museum of Arts and Design, MoMA PS1, and the Brooklyn Museum.