Wegman World

Twenty Years Ago...

The NY Times ran this review of WW's retrospective at the Whitney Museum. Did any of you see that show?

William Wegman, Dog Walker, 1990

 

Reviews/Art; William Wegman's Versatile Humor Survives Man Ray

By ROBERTA SMITH
Published: January 24, 1992

 For people who believe art and humor are strange bedfellows, a visit to the 20-year retrospective of William Wegman at the Whitney Museum of American Art may make them think again.

Mr. Wegman, a Conceptual artist turned painter, is the art world's most amusing heavyweight lightweight -- and its premier dog photographer. He is perhaps best known for turning a cooperative Weimaraner named Man Ray into a virtual art icon, something on the order of a canine Andy Warhol.

Finish the article here.

While on Hold...

Wednesday's Postcard

From WW: National Geographic

Notice anything familiar about the cover of this month's issue of National Geographic? (Hint: it features someone who has appeared on this blog.) 

This past October, WW spent several days in the studio with Penny, Flo, Candy and Bobbin, working to get just the right shot. He reflects on the experience in this video (and if you haven't seen the cover yet, you will here):

 

While on Hold...

From WW: Pacific Standard Time

Pacific Standard Time is three hours behind Eastern Standard Time, so if you go to see my works in the various exhibitions in California, be aware of that if you are traveling from New York.

Being from the east myself I was ahead of my time when I was living and working in LA in the early nineteen seventies. In seventy I got my dog who I named Man Ray, after the artist Man Ray, a New Jersey artist who lived part time in Europe, in a whole different time zone.  My dog became bicoastal, living in New York in the late seventies and early eighties.  

William Wegman, Milk/Floor, 1970

One of the works in the exhibition is an early one called "Milk/Floor". It depicts Man Ray as a puppy drinking a puddle of milk on the floor. Then I rebuilt the floor under the milk and dog and re photographed it. It was extremely difficult to rebuild the floor without disturbing the milk and the dog. Even as a puppy Man Ray had a lot of patience.

-- WW

Pacific Standard Time

Have you heard about Pacific Standard Time? It is a collaboration between museums, galleries and other institutions in southern California celebrating the birth of L.A. art. 

  William Wegman, Artist, 1971

WW created a large body of work in the early 70's in and around L.A., and is included in several PST exhibitions. Here is a list of where you can see his work as part of this fantastic series:

Orange County Museum of Art, October 8 - January 22, 2012

“State of Mind: New California Art Circa 1970,” Orange County Museum of Art. Traveling to Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive, February 29 - June 17, 2012 

Pomona College Museum of Art, December 3 - February 18, 2012 

“It Happened at Pomona,” Pomona College Museum of Art, Claremont, CA 

The J. Paul Getty Museum, December 20 - May 6, 2012 

“In Focus: Los Angeles, 1945-1980,” The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

And coming in 2013:

University Art Museum

“West Coast Wegman” California State University, Long Beach

Check back tomorrow for a post from WW about Pacific Standard Time. 

Wednesday's Postcard

While on hold...

Did you miss WW on the Colbert Report?

Last year, WW participated in arting up Stephen Colbert's portrait on The Colbert Report. Here it is, if you missed it or need a refresher:

The Colbert Report
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