3 x THREE 2019

Editor: So, this is JoAnn Verburg's "3 x THREE" from 2019, and it's a photograph, or rather a triptych of photographs, of what looks like an olive grove. It feels almost painterly, maybe impressionistic in a way. What jumps out at you when you look at this work? Curator: Well, immediately I'm drawn to the olive tree itself. Think about it: for millennia, it’s symbolized peace, victory, healing, even purification in various cultures. The fact that she presents it in a triptych lends a religious weight too. What does this repetition suggest to you? Editor: Maybe the endurance of those ideas you mentioned? Like these concepts are as established and strong as these old trees are. And that it is “3 x THREE," is that a reference to something? Curator: That's astute! Number symbolism is rich. The number three often represents wholeness, mind-body-spirit, past-present-future. Repeated, as in "3 x THREE", perhaps emphasizes an eternal, unbroken cycle? Look at the quality of the light— how it almost washes over the branches in a baptismal way. Do you notice how the texture softens what would have been hard edges, what is lost and what is gained? Editor: Yeah, there is almost a blur between photography and painting as you pointed out! And I agree about the texture, even light itself almost feels like another physical element. Curator: The blur also links past and future – those long held symbols as always visible, as a continued promise. The very act of photographing something fixes it in time, but also speaks of our shared memories of similar experiences. Editor: That’s a really interesting perspective, I was caught up in the surface beauty, but the layers of symbolism definitely deepen the experience. Curator: Precisely. Art invites us to see beyond the surface. Editor: I'll definitely carry that thought forward, thank you!