Andrea Modica is a distinguished photographer whose career spans four decades. Known for her meticulous technique, she utilizes a 19th-century platinum printmaking process and a large-format 8x10 camera to create luminous black-and-white portraits. 

Her work is characterized by its deep intimacy and collaborative nature, often influenced by the styles of August Sander and Diane Arbus. 

Originally shot in 1984 and recently published as a monograph by L'Artiere, Catholic Girl serves as a poignant time capsule of teenage identity and subculture.

The series documents students at all-girls Catholic high schools in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn (Modica’s alma mater) and New Haven, CT. Modica initiated the project just seven years after her own graduation, using the camera to "dissect" personal complex memories of high school—a period she describes as a mix of "intense joy and unfathomable grief".

Catholic Girl explores the tension between the conformity of school uniforms and the girls' emerging individuality. Modica captures the "clashing" of cultural influences, where traditional religious symbols meet the defiant aesthetics of 1980s punk and disco. The collection highlights expressive details such as 1980s “pouf” hairdos, leather jackets, black lipstick, and rolled-up skirts used to subvert strict dress codes.

Shooting with an 8x10 camera required subjects to remain still for several minutes, transforming the sessions into a slow, collaborative performance rather than a simple snapshot.