Jill Greenberg – Commentary and Dissent – Katherine Cone Gallery

By Daniel Rolnik On January 26, 2012

Jill Greenberg’s exhibit, Commentary and Dissent, at Katherine Cone Gallery was so awesome that it made the entirety of Photo LA look like a tiny pebble on the beach. There was just this inexplicable magic about her work that totally converted everyone who entered the gallery into full on believers of photography. I mean, I literally heard over a dozen people in one night tell me every single detail of their favorite images and that just simply doesn’t happen at any other opening reception I go to. However, one of the most talked about works amongst the crowd was a picture of a decapitated corpse, which Jill was able to capture in such a way as to make it look like it was still alive and ready to get up at any second. So, when I found out from her later on that it was actually a prop, I was quite relieved, since I knew that everything else was the real deal – including the tongues, testicles, and man pissing in his own mouth. And it wasn’t just the images themselves that were great, but their titles as well – especially the ones that referenced Monty Python! I’m so glad that Jill Greenberg and Katherine Cone had the the bravery to put this exhibit together, since it was the first time in a long time the I felt excited to walk around a gallery. After all, I truly believe that Jill Greenberg is the only photographer on Earth able to make a picture of a monkey that’s pissing and shitting at the same time look so freakin’ beautiful. *NOTE: The photo above is “Apocalypse And Carnival” [2008-2011]; Archival pigment print 76 x 63.75 inches