2013 Catalogue Archive

William Wegman is best known for his wry and satirical photographs of Weimaraners in various poses, costumes, and scenarios. With Wegman’s guidance, the dogs (and their sincere, deadpan presence) possess a unique ability to exist as stand-ins for humans in the most absurd and charming situations. Orangina features one of the Weimaraners standing behind (and on) what appears to be two sheets of orange Plexiglas. The simple set-up transforms the dog into sculptural presence, seemingly trapped inside a Minimalist artwork. Numerous retrospectives of Wegman’s work have taken place, among them Wegman’s World which opened at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis in 1981 and toured the United States, and William Wegman: Paintings, Drawings, Photographs, Videotapes which opened at the Kunstmuseum, Lucerne, in 1990 and traveled to the Centre Pompidou, Paris, and The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. Retrospectives have also taken place in Sweden, Japan, Korea, and Spain.