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Candy stars in Casual (2002)
© William Wegman (Courtesy of the artist)

William Wegman Makes Us Smile

What’s the best way to experience William Wegman’s “Being Human” exhibit at the 2018 Rencontres d’Arles (Arles Photo Festival)?

Spend time with Wegman’s original 20 x 24 Polaroid prints—but also take note of the faces of the visitors.

Everyone is smiling.

We’re smiling at dogs sporting festive wigs, or arching majestically on shapes of color, or agilely balancing things on their nose or head, or morphing into other animals like a giraffelant, or going about the daily tasks of living (with a surreptitious set of human hands).

We’re smiling at each of the 100 photographs displayed in this show, but we’re really smiling at ourselves as we make a connection to the fascinating world of being human.

We’re also amazed at just how creative Wegman has been in the nearly 50 years he has been photographing his beloved weimaraners.

Batty stars in Cut to Reveal (1997)
© William Wegman (Courtesy of the artist)

With a retrospective such as “Being Human,” it becomes clear that Wegman continues to evolve and challenge himself (and his dogs)—with a unique blend of conceptual art and surrealism; a range of elements from cubism, color fields, masquerades, high fashion, theatrical costumes, eclectic furniture, and figure studies; and above all . . . humor.

In a world where the harsh realities of the planet are often a subtle (or not so subtle) presence in photographic images, these images give our spirit a chance to laugh.

Penny stars in Upside Downward (2006)
© William Wegman (Courtesy of the artist)

No Underdogs Here

As the exhibit curator William Ewing notes in the book Being Human, Wegman explores many genres—photojournalism, astronomy, gastronomy, landscapes, seascapes, haute couture, theatre, opera, art trends, and metaphysical and difficult existential questions—all through the noble character and soulsearching pale eyes of his dogs.

“I’ve always thought of working with the dogs as parallel play. The dogs play their game and I play mine,” says Wegman in conversation with Ewing.

The canine cast of characters all like to play . . . and to work. The dogs want to be chosen to be photographed. In fact, they feel left out if they are not the center of attention on the set.

Sometimes Wegman has to pretend that everyone has a part, even when one dog is the focus. There’s no underdog here.

In the Wegman studio, every dog is a star. And every dog has his or her own talent and personality. Wegman is an expert at casting the right dog with the right creative vision. We get to know the character of Man Ray, Fay Ray, Chundo, Bettina (Batty), Crooky, Mazzy, Chip, Bobbin, Candy, Penny, Flo, and Topper.

Topper stars in Constructivism (2014)
© William Wegman (Courtesy of the artist)

In The Beginning There Was Man Ray

How did it all begin? The puppy Man Ray came into the picture (pun intended) while Wegman was teaching in California in 1970. Wegman’s artistic media up until that time had been drawing, painting, and video.

Man Ray made it clear that he wanted to be a part of the action, so Wegman began featuring him in photographs. He marveled at how Man Ray was transformed by the act of photographing him. “He became,” in Wegman’s words.

Man Ray was regal, confident, a leader of the pack. He emerged as the star of Wegman’s photographs, as well as videos. He even learned to spell.

If video does not display, watch it here.

The Dog Photographer

Although Wegman is sometimes called “the dog photographer” or is accused of being too anthropomorphic, his art moves well beyond any such categorization (although it’s hard to argue the anthropomorphism point when Man Ray was named “Man of the Year” by the Village Voice after he died).

The basic truth is that Wegman’s art is a tender collaboration between a human and humans’ best friends. The subject is not dogs. The subject is life.

Chundo stars in George (1997)
© William Wegman (Courtesy of the artist)

The portraiture is not unlike other humanists’ approach. The photographer works to show the deeper layers of the subject so that the viewer will be engaged in the story . . . in the discovery . . . in the exploration.

Wegman has the advantage that wiemaraners are hunting dogs and are inclined to stay still, as if pointing. However, he still must elicit the right emotions (although he admits that the wiemaraner expression is somewhat detached . . . similar to an elegant fashion model who is a bit above it all).

The Wegman techniques are slightly different from the average portrait photographer. How does he get his subjects to do what he wants?

“Cat was a big word with many of my dogs,” Wegman says. “Ball has been an important word until recently, and Bone continues to be promising. But if you keep saying Bone and don’t deliver, the word crashes and you have to find another word.”

Flo stars in Cursive Display (2013)
© William Wegman (Courtesy of the artist)

The Polaroid Era

Wegman’s style and vision changed in 1978 when Polaroid invited him to try out one of their few new 20 x 24 cameras.

The camera was the size of a refrigerator and weighed more than 400 pounds. Wegman had to go to the Polaroid studio (dogs, costumes, and props in hand) to create the photographs.

The camera dictated that he work in color, in a vertical format. He saw the images almost immediately after shooting, which enabled timely adjustments. And the images had all the quality advantages of a large-format camera.

Because of the size and immobility of the camera, he had to bring his subjects up to the level of the lens. There also was no post-shoot manipulation. The image was exactly as it was shot.

Later, he did go on location from time to time, hauling the camera in a truck (along with the Polaroid assistant).

Wegman worked with the Polaroid camera from 1979 to 2007, creating more than 15,000 images.

Knowing the challenges of this camera format makes seeing these Polaroid originals in the exhibit all the more thrilling. It becomes obvious how much work went into creating these complex stories and capturing the “decisive moment.”

As Wegman said in an interview, ““The lucky accident happens over and over again if you just spend time at it.”

After the end of the Polaroid era, Wegman moved to digital. Thus, he still has the benefit of seeing the image immediately so he can make adjustments.

However, because post-production is now a possibility, he must test the faith of his viewers to know he does not manipulate the images with Photoshop. He is still working in the Polaroid philosophy.

Feathered Footwear (1999)
© William Wegman (Courtesy of the artist)

An “Oh I See” Pawsterity Moment

The axiom that photographing something you love brings you closer to that subject is certainly true for William Wegman.

An aboriginal saying is also true: Dogs make us human.

We come out of the “Being Human” exhibit feeling better about ourselves and our fellow beings. And we come out smiling.

Les Rencontres de la photographie d’Arles, exhibitions run from July 2 until September 23 2018, 34 Rue du Dr Fanton, 13200 Arles

The exhibit “Being Human,” curated by William Ewing is produced by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Minneapolis, in collaboration with the Rencontres d’Arles.

William Wegman’s work can be found at the Sperone Westwater Gallery in New York. His numerous books can be found on Amazon.

The new book “Being Human” in collaboration with William Ewing includes more than 300 photos, many of which have never been shown, and can be found here.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

A bonus encore: Wegman’s famous Dog Duet.

If video does not display, watch it here.