When I was in graduate school at Hamline University, I had the opportunity of visiting JoAnn Verburg’s photography studio. It was my first experience of visiting a real Artist’s studio. I’m not sure what I was more taken with, the images displayed on the walls or JoAnn herself as both were completely unpretentious, approachable and inspiring. I left that day with a bit of a crush, so you can imagine how excited I was when I heard JoAnn was going to be showing at MOMA. The exhibition will feature approximately 60 photographs culled from JoAnn’s 25 year career.
The Cloud (…did not depend), 2003
JoAnn’s subject matter varies and includes ‘found’ still lifes, portraits, as well as landscapes. MOMA describes her creative process as ‘methodical’ as she explores her subjects’ ‘pictorial possibilities’ slowly. Her use of diptychs and triptychs ‘demonstrate how the content of a picture can be enriched by using more than one photograph at a time, while maintaining coherence through the close formal and referential relationship of individual exposures.’
Camouflage, 2003
The show is featured in the Special Exhibitions Gallery, third floor, from July 15 to November 5. 2007.
News at the Zattere, Venice, 2006
For more information regarding JoAnn Verberg check out this article. To buy her work, visit the G. Gibson Gallery. All images are, of course, copyrighted by the artist herself.