Würfeliger Aufbau c. 1923

Curator: This intriguing piece is "Würfeliger Aufbau," or "Cubic Structure," by Karl Wiener, dating from around 1923. It's a coloured pencil drawing, small in scale, offering us a glimpse into the artist's explorations with cubism. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the vibrant, almost childlike quality of the colour palette. The reds especially pop against the softer grey backdrop, creating an unusual tension. What was Wiener trying to achieve with this simplified, geometrical configuration? Curator: It’s fascinating to consider Wiener's artistic process in light of the early 20th century’s social upheaval. The choice of coloured pencils, a readily available and relatively inexpensive material, speaks to a democratisation of art production, doesn’t it? Perhaps a move away from the elite tradition of oil painting and toward a more accessible means of creation. Editor: Perhaps. But those simple geometric shapes... they seem to reference something deeper. The sphere at the top suggests a head, maybe? And the overlapping blocks could symbolize a fractured identity or perspective, reflecting the fragmentation and reassembly of the self that characterized much of modernist thought. It seems like he’s drawing on the psychology of form, which held that basic shapes resonated on a symbolic level. Curator: That's a very interesting point about fractured identity. It is tempting to read the red and grey colours with their limited textural qualities, as the outcome of some sort of economic limitations on the artist, since the work on paper comes after World War One. However, that sphere you point out almost feels like a commodity of some kind... Editor: You think so? It's placement almost crowning this strange edifice…suggests the opposite to me! Maybe not economic so much, but more related to cultural aspirations... Either way it gives me pause for thought. Curator: Indeed. The confluence of factors present here is fascinating when examining the artwork's place of production within history. Wiener clearly demonstrates that resourcefulness isn’t necessarily a limit, it can actually facilitate incredible artistic vision and innovation. Editor: Ultimately, what sticks with me is the sense of playful uncertainty; that it captures something universal in its abstract language of colour and form.