JoAnn Verburg

JoAnn Verburg is a well-known photographer.

Biography of JoAnn Verburg

JoAnn Verburg was born on June 9, 1950, in Summit, New Jersey. She received a BA in sociology from Ohio Wesleyan University and an MFA in Photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

From 1977 to 1979, she served as the research director and photographer for the Rephotographic Survey Project, which involved replicating 19th-century wilderness views throughout the American West.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, she led Polaroid's Visiting Artist Program, promoting technical innovation in photography by inviting artists such as Chuck Close, Andy Warhol, William Wegman, and Jim Dine to experiment with large-format instant cameras.

In 1981, her career shifted towards teaching when she took on a visiting artist position at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Since then, she has also taught at Yale University.

Verburg's artistic career includes participation in more than 75 group exhibitions and over 20 solo exhibitions, showcasing her work to diverse audiences across various galleries and venues worldwide. Solo shows include "JoAnn Verburg: Migration of Birds" at Palazzo Mauri in Spoleto (2023), "JoAnn Verburg: For Now" at Pace Gallery in New York (2021), "JoAnn Verburg: Present Tense: Mid-Career Survey" at G. Gibson Gallery in Seattle (2013), and many more. 

JoAnn Verburg's Art Style

Verburg's photographic work stands out for its remarkable sensitivity to the energy and sensuality found in the natural world. Through exquisite use of color, varied focus, and thoughtful composition, Verburg captures the beauty of both the subject and the setting.

Verburg employs a large format camera to capture life-size portraits, still lifes, and landscapes in her photography. She frequently works with diptychs and triptychs, employing vibrant color palettes.

During the 1980s, she experimented with group portraits spanning multiple frames. In the mid-1990s, she turned her lens toward photographing Italian landscapes. Notably, she has also extensively photographed her husband, poet Jim Moore, in various moments and activities.