Neo-symbolist photographer John Santerineross to exhibit controversial photography at Todd/Browning Gallery

(Los Angeles, CA – Date of release) – Neo-symbolist photographer John Santerineross’ critics and fans alike have described his work as graphic, forceful and brutally candid. As recently as September 2009, he was vilified in Catholic League president Bill Donohue’s newest book “Secular Sabotage: How Liberals Are Destroying Religion and Culture in America” along with several other groundbreaking artists including Andres Serrano, Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman and Robert Gober in a chapter entitled Artistic Sabotage. A collection of Santerineross’ photographic images will be exhibited in Los Angeles’ Todd/Browning Gallery opening November 11, 2009, including the now infamous “Transmutation of the Madonna”.

Due to its being mentioned specifically in Bill Donohue’s book, this piece has become one of Santerineross’ most recently debated photographs. Donohue states “In 2006 at KFMK Gallery in New York City, an exhibit of the work of John Santerineross featured a photo of a woman with her genitals cut and bleeding; a crucifix was placed below the woman, and the blood from her mutilated genitalia was shown running into a wine glass. Just so we got the point, the photo was dubbed “The Transformation of the Madonna”. These artistic assassins want to artistically assassinate Christianity, especially Catholicism. They are not artists who are simply making a statement. They are nihilists. Not to understand the difference between artists who protest Christianity’s teachings on sexuality, and moral anarchists out to sabotage Christianity altogether, is not only to miss what is at stake, it does an injustice to their work.”

John Santerineross was named "the world's leading neo-symbolist photographer of our time" in the December 2007 issue of PROFIFOTO, Germany’s leading photography magazine. His unique style and content have inspired an entire new generation of artists. His complex aesthetic is derived from a mix of his exposure to Catholicism and Santeria and by his fascination with Greek mythology, world religions and iconography.

Nineteen of Santerineross’ photographs will be exhibited at the Todd/Browning Gallery in his first solo exhibition in Los Angeles. Images from both his books (Fruit of the Secret God and Dream) will be on display as well as several new images. Todd/Browning Gallery is located at 211 West 5th Street, Los Angeles.

To view John Santerineross’ artwork, visit [link]

Todd/Browning Gallery contact:
William Eiseman
Email: gallery@toddbrowning.com Phone: 213-623-1176
Website: [link]