View Full Version : photo exhibit: End Times by Jill Greenburg


paul_syjuco
09-11-2006, 11:49 AM
I only discovered Jill Greenburg through CNN recently as her current work seems to be drawing so much controversy. here is a description of her collection found
in http://www.paulkopeikingallery.com/artists/greenberg/exhibitions/endtimes/index.htm (http://www.paulkopeikingallery.com/artists/greenberg/exhibitions/endtimes/index.htm):

"End Times" combines beautiful, poignant imagery, impeccably executed, with both political and personal relevance. Greenberg’s subject is taboo: children in pain. She utilizes this uncomfortable image as a way to break through to the pop mainstream and begin a national dialogue. Jill Greenberg's images are sharp and saturated, stunning and quirky; her work is soaked with realism and imagination.

the photos are so powerful and loaded with emotion. it is through these pictures that Greenburg relays her despair and grief with what's happening to the world. but the so called controversy lies in how the artist came about "producing" so called emotions from the child subjects. she obviously made them cry....doing things as giving them a lollipop then grabbing it when they've just started enjoying it. critics cry child abuse as they say she's scarred these childred emotionally for life. add to the fact that she charges thousands of $$$$'s for a single print. greenburg naturally tells these critics to go **** themselves. she says its no big deal; even put her own daughter through the same "process" and is in fact part of the series.

Try clicking on the essay "Regarding What is Real in Photography" at the bottom of the page.

has she crossed a certain vaporous line between "art" and whatever? did she really do things to these children horrible enough to be labeled as abuse? i don't know. what i think is that she had a simple enough concept and she was able to deliver. if the purpose was to strike a nerve then it obviously has. what do you think?

enjoy_gaw
09-11-2006, 01:03 PM
Controversial maybe... but i sure give him points for originality, for the concept and pulling it off. It seem like it would be better in black and white. His pictures show such raw emotions from the children and their whole world just revolves around a certain thing at anyone time be it a candy or whatever.

I mean, I won't fault him for getting the results anymore than faulting a photographer for bribing a child with a lollipop to coax smile.
It's not like the children got hurt physically or pschologically. It's no better than giving a kid everything they want and spoiling them.

Would i pay thousands of $$$ to buy one? nah, 1 real life crying kid in the house is enough, no sense hanging a reminder on the wall.

Earl Gonzalez
09-11-2006, 06:10 PM
Paul, thanks for sharing the link :) 'Learned alot from the gallery...