William Wegman

William Wegman

            William Wegman is a photographer known for his images of Weimaraner dogs.  He has created images as well as short videos starring these famous dogs.  Wegman became so famous through these dogs that he has appeared on several television shows, such as The Tonight Show and Sesame Street.  In many of these photos and videos, the dog’s head appears to be on a human’s body.  Wegman achieves this by setting up a stool for his dog to sit on, and then covers up a human model with clothing.  The hidden person then uses their hands to make gestures and move objects.  In the videos, voice is added to create even more of a humanlike effect.  The end result is a convincing display of a dog with a human body.  Other videos and photography from Willam Wegman include scenes of his dogs doing natural things, such as licking up milk from a bowl.

            I like William Wegman’s work because I remember it from my childhood.  I also like how he is able to use his dogs so consistently throughout all of his photos.  The dogs look extremely similar even though he has had several different ones over the years.  I am inspired by the whimsical feeling that comes from looking at his photography and videos.  Also, I am intrigued by how all ages can enjoy his artwork.  Children as well as adults enjoy viewing his dogs, which inspires me to create something that can be applied to all ages too.  Another thing that I find interesting is the color palate of his work.  I find his photographs containing the dogs to be muted, to match the color of the fur of the dogs.  It reminds me of a slightly antiquated style.