Dr. Winter (after Zobernig)
Medium: Fineliner on paper, 96 mm × 43 mm, mounted on Canson Iris Vivaldi, 297 mm × 210 mm in clip frame with frosted glass (etched, 4 mm, satin polished edges).
Dimensions of card: 96 mm × 43 mm
Dimensions framed: 210 mm × 297 mm
‘Dr. Winter’ by A-FL is a response to Heimo Zobernig’s 1981 calling card, which featured ‘Dr. Sommer’ in the same script font on a white card of matching format.
Zobernig’s enigmatic pseudonym evokes associations with ‘Dr. Jochen Sommer’, the pen name adopted by German doctor, psychoanalyst, and catechist Martin Goldstein for a widely popular advice column in the German teen magazine Bravo*. This column sought to provide guidance and support to teenagers navigating the challenges of adolescence, focusing on topics related to puberty, relationships, and sexuality. Dr. Sommer gained widespread recognition and influence, particularly among young readers, for addressing subjects that were often deemed taboo or difficult to openly discuss.
Similarly, in 1981, Zobernig believed in his – or art’s – therapeutic potential to positively impact the lives of others, introducing himself as a counselor by distributing calling cards bearing the same pseudonym.
While Zobernig’s calling card exuded an optimism typical of the 80s, A-FL’s response reflects a more cynical perspective; influenced by a world shattered by ongoing conflicts and an threatened by an impending global climate crisis.
*Zobernig claims he was unaware of this high-profile use of the Dr. Sommer pseudonym at the time of publishing his calling card, which was produced in two versions: the first in red with sans-serif typography, and the second in white utilizing the script font.
