John O'Reilly @ Hilberry

Just when you start to feel a rhythm to the daring shows at hilberry you are thrown back to a quiet place again. From the last over-the-top brightly colored off beat scott hocking show now up are black and white photography collages. This pattern has happened before with such transition from past shows like the Summer Pack I and II being followed from what I recall a neutral ceramic and drawing show. This opening was much more low key which would be expected because of the intimateness of the artwork. There weren't large "name" paintings on the wall or giant animals tied to the gallery floor but polaroid montages of nude photography and other collaged body parts that seemed to be like snapshots of art history and past memory. Digging deeper, I am not as surprised by the content: think mathew blake but 2d or ellen phelan but fragmented photography. Seeing the similarities to other gallery artists helped me understand O'Reilly's works when otherwise I might write off the show as a safe black and white holiday seller.