Exhibition Review: JoAnn Verburg's "For Now"
JoAnn Verburg, 3 x THREE, 2019. three pigment prints each mounted to Dibond 50" Å~ 100" (127 cm Å~ 254
cm), approximate overall dimensions individual dimensions tbd EditionTBD of 5 Edition of 5 + 2 Aps
© JoAnn Verburg, courtesy Pace Gallery
Written by: Moksha Akil
Hidden in simplicity, JoAnne Verberg’s solo exhibition, “For Now,” places multi-frame photos and videos of olive trees in the bustling Manhattan environment. The juxtaposition is unmistakable. Outside of the windows of the Pace Gallery, the sounds and sights of Chelsea roam free. Brick buildings are directly in front of the gallery, but once the viewer turns from the window, they see the portraiture of Verberg. The stark contrasts between the two landscapes are apparent—the rustling of leaves in the videos overlapping the car horns out in the streets.
Verberg’s photos depict olive trees in Italy, California, and Israel, and find a way to completely immerse the viewer in what Verberg calls an “imagined reality.” These photos transform the setting of the gallery and create a serenity around the viewer. The installation of both photos and videos helps in creating this environment. Verberg’s multimedia usage displays her range with very similar subjects. Many of the photos are split into three and connect in only one portion of the photo, seeming as if the photos are disjointed yet in conjunction with each other. It is this technique and the details that draw the viewer in, making them wonder what more there is to the olive trees.
JoAnn Verburg, BIG PINK (A Lover’s Dream), 2020. two pigment prints each mounted to Dibond 50" Å~ 35-1/4" (127 cm Å~ 89.5 cm), image, paper and mount, each Edition 3 of 5 Edition of 5 + 2 Aps
© JoAnn Verburg, courtesy Pace Gallery
There is much more. Beyond the urban nature on the periphery, Verberg’s photos depict the trees in a portrait, such as in BETWEEN. The focus is on the stature and form of the trunk. Many of her other photos are like this, giving life to what is inanimate. Verberg’s technique includes arranging and rearranging her images in the space by using vantage point, framing, and light. Though these are the techniques of any seasoned photographer, Verberg displays artisanship and a caring nature for her work. She produces each print herself.
JoAnn Verburg, Three to One (for Joel Shapiro), 2020. three pigment prints each mounted to Dibond (TO BE MOUNTED) 40" Å~ 28-1/4" (101.6 cm Å~ 71.8 cm), image and paper, each Edition 2 of 5 Edition of 5 + 2 Aps
© JoAnn Verburg, courtesy Pace Gallery
The photos also carry a sense of mystery. These trees are now given life, but they are also given a story. Verberg went to the olive orchards of Spoleto, Italy during the 2016 earthquakes—almost twenty years after she last visited in the late 1990s—and found herself drawn to the endurance and longevity of the trees. They withstood the earthquakes and lived. Not only did the trees survive, but so did the birds, rocks, mountains, and other natural elements surrounding Verberg in the middle of post-disaster Italy. These otherwise lifeless beings were resilient, and so Verberg breathed life into them through her photographs. For the first time in her career, she brought a tape recorder to film the videos seen in the exhibition which led to the ambient sounds from the olive grove heard in the exhibition—the viewers are now entirely immersed.
From the first step into the exhibit, the viewer is able to notice the sheer life in the room all because of Verberg’s photos. The trees and groves infuse the city-steeped gallery with life. It brings freshness to the experience of the viewer. However, the trees are also given their own life stories by Verberg. Each photo has a sense of mystery that begs the question, “What more is there to this tree?” The photo emphasizes the meaning the tree already had—its endurance and resilience peering out of the photograph. Verberg brought the life of nature to a viewer whose element was a bustling city. It is for this we should be thankful.
“For Now” opened at the Pace Gallery on July 9th and will be open until August 20th.
