Jill Brody: Hidden In Plain Sight

MAM is honored to host this collection of photographs by Jill Brody entitled Hidden in Plain Sight. Brody has worked as a professional photographer in the state for over twenty years creating images that are born out of Montana’s rural environment. Her work, which is included in MAM’s Collection and frequently shared in group exhibitions, always carries an integrity that speaks to her attention to composition and consistent professional technique.

Hidden in Plain Sight is an enormous undertaking and Brody’s most masterful project to date. Her keen sense of observation reveals a realistic appreciation of many Montanans’ experiences. Such experiences are magnified in the Hutterite photographs. Over the course of four years, Brody was graciously hosted by Hutterite colonies in Liberty County. Hutterites are part of the rich fabric of the state’s cultural diversity and live largely in the shadows of Montana’s more dominant and worldly cultures. Her photographs are un-staged and unaltered vignettes of everyday life. They respectfully draw the viewer into the often hidden ordinariness of Hutterite existence, reflecting the challenges of rural life and the intense faith that ties this community together. There is integrity in these large images; there is truth in these eminently natural compositions, and there is power in allowing the photographs to speak in ways we cannot express in words. Like her hard-working subjects, Brody is sure-footed, disciplined, experimental, and flexible in her approach to her craft. This is apparent in how she creates their sense of place.

The exhibition will also be hosted at several venues throughout the state through the sponsorship of MAM and the Montana Art Gallery Directors Association (MAGDA). MAM is proud to present this new body of work, and sponsor this significant traveling exhibition.