Ode to a Cemetery: Photographing Green-Wood w/ Bethany Jacobson

Talk Highlights:

• See stunning images of Green-Wood Cemetery's statuary and landscaping
• Learn how Jacobson captured the beauty of the cemetery and paired her images with poetic words from Cole Swensen in her new book, Ode to a Cemetery
• Get behind-the-scenes insights on how the gorgeous grounds of Green-Wood are cared for year-round
• Discover how Jacobson turned her photographs and bits of the cemetery into unique handmade paper artworks

About this Event:

Green-Wood, founded in 1838, was a leader in the Rural Cemetery movement in America. Its 478 acres encompass magnificent grounds, grand architecture, and world-class statuary. Throughout four seasons, Jacobson’s book captures the spirit of this verdant, history-drenched pastoral cemetery.

In Ode to a Cemetery, Bethany Eden Jacobson creates a moving portrait of Green-Wood Cemetery with her color and black and white photographs of century-old trees, grand vistas, and time-worn statuary. Her cinematic approach is a visual meditation on the transience of life and the importance of nature to the human spirit. The book also includes reproductions of her unique artworks on handmade paper inspired by the female Victorian statuary. Throughout the book, Cole Swensen’s poetic words reflect on the imagery, creating a lyrical interplay between image and text.

About Bethany Jacobson:

Bethany Eden Jacobson Bethany Eden Jacobson is a photographer and filmmaker. A native New Yorker, she studied art from an early age. In the 1980s, she worked as a photojournalist, photographing such seminal figures as Wim Wenders, David Wojnarowicz, Iggy Pop, and Chantal Akerman for a variety of publications. She went on to study film and worked in the film business for many years. She has written and directed award-winning films which have been screened internationally. In the past five years, she returned to her passion for photography. Most recently, her focus has been on exploring alternative processes. Her work has been in group and solo exhibitions including: The Third Barcelona Foto Biennale in 2022; Gallery Onetwentyeight, New York City, in 2022; and E.V. Gallery, New York City, in 2023. Her recent work was in a two-person exhibit “Legendary Brooklyn - Two Perspectives” at Gallery Onetwentyeight, NYC this past fall. Her website is: https://www.bethanyjacobson.com/

Art Presson Art Presson has worked in various positions at Green-Wood since 2006. Most significantly, he has served as Vice President of Design and Landscape. During his tenure, Presson has elevated Green-Wood’s focus on horticulture, planted 2,100 trees, and helped it become a Level III Arboretum. Early in his career, Presson worked for the legendary photographer and founder of the International Center of Photography (ICP) Cornell Capa. At ICP, he designed exhibitions of work by David Hockney, Annie Leibovitz, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Margaret Bourke-White, Robert Capa, Sebastião Salgado, W. Eugene Smith, and many others.