Munchkins, I, II, & III

Men in business suits ascend and descend the crisscrossing escalators of the PanAm (now Met Life) Building in Manhattan. Idelle Weber’s ironic title refers to the little characters in The Wizard of Oz—ordinary citizens who are oppressed by a cruel witch. Here, the urban commuters toil under what Weber called the “airlessness and isolation” of corporate life. The artist’s edgy technique draws on the sensibility of Pop and the look of commercial imagery, but exudes a “Mad Men” feel that exposes the dehumanizing effects of everyday life in mid-century America.

2013.9.2