William Wegman Rebecca Longley Curriculum and Instruction Spring 2009.

Who is William Wegman? - Born December 2, 1943 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. “You have talent,” his teacher said. “You should go to art school.” - Early fascination with art. Specifically painting and film. -Earned a BFA in painting from the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston in 1965.

Where in the world is William Wegman?

Influences Bruce Nauman Allen Ruppersberg Ed Ruscha

Enter the muse… Man Ray

The collaboration… early works. Untitled Video Still Man Ray contemplating the bust of Man Ray 1982 “A miracle is a good way to describe it.” - Wegman on working with Man Ray

Milk/Floor Video Photography “The light in his eye just exploded in video… He was absolutely gorgeous in that medium, and he liked doing it.” - Wegman Video still 1975

“The ironic juxtaposition of animal playing human caught the attention of the public and made Wegman’s work an instant success and Man Ray a loveable star.” - Joe Jarrell Polaroid Bag Lady 1979 Have you ever tried to take pictures of your pets?

Frog/frog II 1982 What feeling do you think Wegman is trying to portray in these images? Fey Ray 1979 Silly ? Feminine? Happy? Gentle?

Blue Period 1981 “In my own work I have visited many art movements. My Blue Period lasted one afternoon.” - Wegman

Silver and Gold, 1982 Wegman “I could do him as a dog, a man, a sculpture, a character, a bat, a frog, an elephant, an Airedale, a dinosaur, a poodle. I never got tired of him.” - Wegman “When Man Ray died I lost a best friend and a muse.” - Wegman

No fun sleeping under a picture like this! Cotto Not just dogs… What are some differences and similarities of these pieces with the works representing Man Ray?

Dock Scene Recusants 1999 Painting Drawing 16 E’s and 16 L’s 1973 Wegman What do you see in Wegman’s paintings and drawings?

Fay Ray, Fay and Andrea, 1987 Wegman Roller Rover 1987 Fay

Connector On Set 1994 “Dressing up a dog as a person, is I think, not a very good thing, but when I do it its fine.” - Wegman “Fay reflected light, Ray absorbed it.” - Wegman

Stabled Strippy 2001 In what settings do we see Wegman’s dogs? What kind of connection do you have with your pets?

Click Here to Watch! William Wegman Talks Dog William Wegman Talks Dog Polaroids Archimbaldo 1994

What’s Wegman’s Big Idea? Miss Mit 1993

Identity? Humor? Both?

So what is… Identity? Canon Aside 2000

What is humor?

How can identity and humor be linked? Can you name some ways William Wegman uses identity and/or humor in his work?

Put your thinking caps on! - How does using the same model (his dogs) affect Wegman’s Big Idea? - How could you use humor to represent your identity? - What feelings do you/would you like to express in art? - What medium would you use to represent your identity?

Role Models 1994 So what’s William Wegman up to these days? - Wegman lives in New York and Maine with his growing family of Weimaraners ready to photograph or film at any moment. - Wegman continues to make films, photographs, drawings and paintings. - His works are displayed in private collections and in museums and galleries all over the world.

Bibliography - Bergeron, Angelle. "William Wegman." Urban Dog. 18 Feb Adams, Brooks. "Wegman Unleashed." ARTnews (Jan 1990): Anthropomorphism. - "Art:21." PBS-WMHT. 10 February Barrett, Terry. Criticizing Art. 2nd. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill, Carter, Curtis L.. "William Wegman: Early Works." 10 February Eason, Antonio. "William Wegman Biography." Western Conneticut State University. 10 February Golden, Thelma, Lynn M. Herbert, Katy Siegel, Robert Storr, and Susan Sollins. Art:21 Season One Companion Book. PBS Art:21, Inc , - Graham, Judith. "Wegman, William."Current Biography Yearbook pg Gross, Michael. "Pup Art." New York Magazine 30 March February Jarrell, Joe. "Art Writing." Giving The Dog A Strobe: Interview with Photographer William Wegman. 18 Feb "'Picturing The Banjo' Through American History." NPR February S.H, "William Wegman." Art and Music Since 1945 :: and :: Artist and Musician Biographies. 11 February Weimaraner Breed Standard American Kennel Club. 10 February "William Wegman and the 20x24 Camera." Creative Polaroid. 10 February "William Wegman: Funney/Strange." Addison Gallery of American Art. 10 February "William Wegman: The man, the work." amNewYork. 10 February 2009.