Wegman World

In a world, where one dog hides and the other seeks...

The Flo & Wendell book trailer is here! No, we couldn't get that "in a world" guy for the voiceover, but we did find someone pretty good...

 

Sneak peek of Flo and Wendell!

William Wegman's new children's book Flo and Wendell will hit the shelves on September 26th (and is available for presale now). Between now and then we'll be releasing a few sneak peeks at the book, here on the blog, on the Facebook page, via Twitter, and more. Stay tuned! In the mean time, check out this behind-the-scenes glimpse at creating the Flo character:

 

Bloglove: The White Cube Diaries

William Wegman, Cubic Chip, 2001

Check out The White Cube Diaries for a post on WW's recent talk at the Maine College of Art.

Bloglove: Beatrice Blog

Beatrice Blog spotted WW's poster for Acne Studios wheat pasted in Soho. Read the full post here.

21 Questions for William Wegman

Click over to ArtInfo to read a Q&A with WW...and see a slideshow of work from Drawings for a Better Tomorrow and a Worse Yesterday at Salon 94. Read the article here.

Looking Back: Hamptonite

William Wegman, Plate, 1997

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Wegman and 10th St. Alumni

By PHYLLIS BRAFF
Published: June 29, 1997

 Peter Buchman/William Wegman

Vered Gallery, 68 Park Place Passage, East Hampton. To July 10. 324-3303.

Playful visual riddles combine with readily recognizable ordinary situations in these selections from William Wegman's famous series of large scale photographs that show his dog, a Weimaraner, in contrived poses. Posturing is the primary subject and this is accentuated by the kind of crisp, superbly lit, pristine formality typical of old-master painting.

The edge in these witty appealing works comes from the way we see human characteristics in new guises as the dog projects pride or dignity, always with an admirably calm, stoic air.

Read the rest here.

Drawings for a Better Tomorrow and a Worse Yesterday at Salon 94!

Please join WW at Salon 94 Thursday, September 13 from 6 - 8 for the opening reception of Drawings for a Better Tomorrow and a Worse Yesterday.

Apologies to those who came out today! We posted the wrong date. We'd love to see you there tomorrow night...

"Salon 94 is pleased to announce Drawings for a Better Tomorrow and a Worse Yesterday, an exhibition of more than fifty early drawings and a selection of early videos by William Wegman. The exhibition is organized in collaboration with Sperone Westwater. Wegman’s lightness of touch combined with slapstick irony inspired a younger generation of artists, from David Shrigley and Scott Reeder to Cory Arcangel and Jayson Musson. William Wegman’s work brought humor to conceptual art and opened up paths for younger artists to work in a multitude of media. He also became one of the first artists, like Andy Warhol or Keith Haring, to break down the boundaries between low and high culture. He collaborated with Sesame Street and Saturday Night Live on videos designed for TV broadcast and worked on many children's books and on fashion shoots." Read more here.

Introducing...Topper!

 

Topper at the studio

I first met Topper in June, just before we all headed up to Maine for the summer. Cousin to Flo (their mothers are sisters), Topper came in a 6-pack (it was a litter of 8 puppies, and 2 stayed home with their mom) with Brian Meany from Syracuse, NY for me to photograph at my studio.

 

Flo, Topper, and littermates in the studio

 

Although Topper was a stellar model, bright and calm and adorable, I had no intention of getting another puppy. Three dogs is more than enough. Bobbin, age 13, has become quite a lot of work and Flo is pretty ridiculous. Candy is no trouble, but when I walk them the leashes get braided as they weave down the sidewalk in NYC.

So after a few days of shooting, I said goodbye to Brian, and to Topper and the other puppies, and we left for Maine.

The dogs quickly settled back into their Maine routine, but after a couple of days I began to feel sorry for Flo.  Candy and Bobbin couldn't keep up with her on our bike rides, or miles long treks through the woods. I kept thinking about Topper. He was energetic, but steady. He could be a perfect companion for Flo, and for us.

 

Flo, Bobbin and Candy in Maine

So I asked my wife Christine if maybe we should get Topper after all, and to my surprise she immediately said yes. So then I called Brian Meany and he immediately said yes. As luck would have it, Brian was scheduled to meet up with friends in Maine and he bring Topper up to Bowdoin College, where my show Hello Nature was due to be opening in a few days.

 

Topper greeting the public at Hello Nature

Topper was sweet and calm at the opening, had a quiet ride back to Rangeley. He spent the next several weeks exploring the woods and the lake, just like Flo did last summer.

 

 

 

Though I'd had some worries -- mainly that bossy Flo, who is more demanding than any puppy I have ever raised, would be jealous -- they proved to be short lived. Flo and Topper are highly charged and loving playmates. We just stand back and watch the show.

 

Topper and Flo

Flo and Topper

Bobbin and Candy are fine with this. They are grown-ups.  

 

An older Topper on a stump

--WW

 

Check back tomorrow and every day this week for Topper photos, videos and more!

WW at Salon 94

William Wegman, Drawings for a Better Tomorrow

Salon 94 presents "Drawings for a Better Tomorrow and a Worse Yesterday," a show of WW's drawings and early videos. The show runs from September 13 - October 20, at their space at 1 Freemans Alley, NY NY.