Wegman World

WW on "In the dark a coat rack looks like a man"

Earlier this month, WW's exhibition "He took two pictures. One came out." opened at Marc Selwyn Fine Art in Los Angeles. (Read more about the exhibition here.) Read on for some of WW's thoughts on one of the works in the show, "In the dark a coat rack looks like a man."

 

William Wegman, In the dark a coat rack looks like a man, 1972

 

In this work, as with many in the new show at Marc Selwyn Fine Art, words that are set photographically as type written text act not so much as caption, but as a key to unlock a parallel or sometimes opposing meaning.

The sentence has been deconstructed and reassembled as a set. By throwing too much light on the subject, the sentence is rendered senseless.

Fear not the dark, photographer.

During this period in Santa Monica (1971-2) my then-wife Gayle became a frequent though unenthusiastic model. I liked that lack of enthusiasm. It suited my low key, matter-of-fact lighting and set design. 

-- WW

Is there a work by WW you've always wondered about? Share it with us in the comments.

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.

William Wegman and Constance Lewellen in Conversation in NYC

 

William Wegman, Artist, 1971

Please join ICI, Constance Lewallen, and William Wegman for a special conversation on Tuesday, April 3, from 6:30- 8pm at 401 Broadway, Suite 1620, NYC.

Constance Lewallen, co-curator of State of Mind: New California Art Circa 1970, and William Wegman, pioneer video artist, conceptualist, photographer, painter, and writer, will discuss Californian artists’ significant contributions in Conceptual art, video, performance, and installation art in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Rarely seen Wegman videos will be screened, followed by a conversation about the artist’s early work and those with whom he associated.

Read more about the event here.

 

It Happened at Pomona

One of the Pacific Standard Time shows that features WW's works, "It Happened at Pomona,"  at the Pomona College Museum of Art, closed this week. If you didn't make it out to LA this time, check out some installation shots below.

Looking Back: Hardly Summer

William Wegman, Mr. Hardly, 1993

In 1993, AP reporter Jerry Harkavy visited WW in Maine. They discussed many things, including projects such as Little Red Riding Hood and The Hardly Boys.

Read the entire article here.

Looking Back: William Wegman's Roll in 1992 US/Russia Relations

Beginning today, each Friday we will be posting a "Looking Back" entry. Looking Back will highlight past WW projects, shows and articles, many from a time before WW was on the WWW.

--

William Wegman, Test Ride, 1991

CHRONICLE
New York Times 

By NADINE BROZAN
Published: February 01, 1992

While her husband took center stage yesterday at the United Nations summit conference, NAINA YELTSIN took a plunge into contemporary American art. She toured the Whitney Museum, scoring a diplomatic success with those accompanying her...She only had time to see two exhibits, those of works by Alexander Calder and William Wegman. 

Read the rest here.

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. 

State of Mind: New California Art Circa 1970

 

William Wegman, A Basic Guide to Lettering, 1972

    In early October, State of Mind: New California Art Circa 1970, which features work by William Wegman, opened at the Orange County Museum of Art, as part of Pacific Standard Time. PST is a collaboration of cultural institutions across Southern California celebrating the birth of the L.A. art scene.

WW has several works appearing in selected PST shows this year. Check back for information on upcoming shows. 

Read more about the show here.

Three early videos

 

William Wegman, Stomach Song

 

 

William Wegman, Spelling Lesson

 

 

 William Wegman, Dog Duet

 

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