Jill Greenberg (American, born )

Jill Greenberg (American, b.1967) is a photographer known for her Fine Art works and portraits. She was born in Montreal, Quebec, but grew up in Detroit, MI. In 1989, she graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Photography. She then moved to New York to start her photography career. In 2000, Greenberg moved to Los Angeles. Greenberg is credited with creating a new photography style which is described as distinctive ethereal backlighting. Greenberg herself has stated that she uses digital post production, which has earned her the nickname "The Manipulator." Greenberg is a very in-demand photographer.

She was selected by French Photo Magazine as one of their 40 most important photographers and included in their 40th anniversary issue. She has done commercial work for DreamWorks, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., Sony Music, Microsoft, Fast Company, Philip Morris, Polaroid, Coca Cola, Smirnoff, MTV, Pepsi, and Paramount Pictures. Her photos have graced the cover of Newsweek, Wired, Entertainment Weekly, and Time. She has provided headshots for celebrities such as Clint Eastwood, Richard Jenkins, Glenn Close, James Cameron, and Jeff Bezos.

Greenberg’s artworks have been shown in various galleries, including ClampArt in New York and Fahey/Klein in Los Angeles, along with galleries in Paris, Adelaide, Australia, Chicago, San Francisco, Amsterdam, and the Netherlands. She has had artworks featured in publications such as The New Yorker, Harper's, and The New Republic. Her series End Times garnered some controversy. The photographs depict children in various types of distress. What drew the criticism was the method used to garner the reactions of the children, such as giving them candy and taking it away. She also drew criticism for work she did for The Atlantic. She was hired to photograph John McCain for their October 2008 cover. She did so, but kept several photographs to portray McCain in a negative light and posted the altered photos on her website. The Atlantic was not pleased and publicly stated they would never work with Greenberg again. Greenberg is married and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Timeline

1967
Born in Montreal and grew up in suburban Detroit
1984
Enrolled in Rhode Island School of Design's pre-college program in Illustration during her senior year of high school
1989
Received a BFA with honors in Photography from Rhode Island School of Design
1990
Moved to New York City
2008
Received New York Photo Award in Advertising category

Exhibitions

2012
Commentary and Dissent, Katherine Cone Gallery, Los Angeles
2011
Ursine, Jaski Art Gallery, Amsterdam
2011
Glass Slipper, Grey Area, Miami Art Museum, during ABMB, Miami
2010
Jill Greenberg: Monkey Portraits, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
2010
Jill Greenberg, acte2galerie, Paris
2010
Bumpy Ride, Macro Future, FotoGrafia, Rome
2010
Heads or Tails, Mary Ryan Gallery, New York
2009
Wild Things, (Curated by Greg Garry), Stricola Contemporary, New York City
2009
Animal Attraction, Ambient Art Projects, Las Vegas, Nevada
2009
Jill Greenberg: Monkey Portraits, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia
2009
Jill Greenberg: Monkeys and Bears, Arvada Center for the Arts, Arvada, Colorado
2008
Jill Greenberg: Monkey Portraits, Eleanor London Cote-St-Luc Public Library, Montreal
2007
Jill Greenberg: Monkey Portraits, National Academy of Sciences, Keller Gallery, Washington DC
2007
Jill Greenberg: Ursine, ClampArt, New York City
2007
Jill Greenberg, Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles
2006
The Photography Show 2006, The Association of International Photography Art Dealers, New York City
2006
End Times, Paul Kopeikin Gallery, Los Angeles
2005
Animal Tales, DFN Gallery, New York City
2004
Paul Kopeikin Gallery, Los Angeles