Untitled 1970

Here we see Verena Loewensberg's creation of an incomplete circle. The white background and blocks of primary colors create a serene tension, where the circle, a symbol of unity and infinity, is deliberately fragmented. This brings to mind the Ouroboros, the ancient symbol of a serpent eating its own tail, representing the eternal return. It appears in alchemy, Gnosticism, and even Jungian psychology. Loewensberg presents us with a deconstructed Ouroboros. In ancient Greece, the circle represented perfection, divinity, and cyclical time, while in Christianity, it symbolized God's eternal nature. But here, the fragmented circle challenges these notions. Is Loewensberg questioning our desire for completion and the inherent anxiety of impermanence? The subconscious yearns for wholeness, and yet, the gaps in the circle provoke a deeper engagement. The symbol is never static, and instead, it resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings.