Ann Weber at Wönzimer

The dramatic Shakespearean title of Ann Weber’s solo show at Wönzimer belies the playfulness of her sculptural forms. Using only found cardboard, Weber transforms this ubiquitous material into surprising organic (and slightly anthropomorphized) forms that loiter about the gallery. Some twist; others bulge; groups of two or three are arranged together in small groups as if chatting at a cocktail party. Using strips of cardboard, Weber weaves her material together to create these structural forms — most of the works are white, though splashes of black and primary color pop through like confetti. 

Yet her title, O What Fools We Mortals Be (lifted from A Midsummer Night’s Dream) adds an air of warning to the otherwise exuberant scene. Here, Weber’s material takes on a cautionary presence — in an age of global commerce, we mortals tend to be a tad short-sighted when it comes to our consumerist practices which privilege speed and convenience over other costs like carbon footprint. Weber dually reminds us of this fact while also offering a small solution to utilizing excess shipping material to create an optimistic and playful vision.

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Photo: Ann Weber, O What Fools We Mortals Be, installation view. Image courtesy of the artist and Wönzimer Gallery.