Wegman likes his dogs

**cyrus** · 3-Aug-2006, 14:41

Guess some photographers can be type-cast

"The largest retrospective of WILLIAM WEGMAN's quirky art-photographs, paintings and videos-opens July 1 at the Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture. He spoke with Jennifer Drapkin about photographing his Weimaraners, including Man Ray and Fay Ray.

YOU ONCE SAID YOU FELT AS IF YOU WERE "NAILED TO THE DOG CROSS." WHAT DID YOU MEAN? In the early 1970s, in the beginning, I didn't even differentiate between working with the dog and not working with the dog. And then, after a while, I would get reviewed, and people would say, "Oh, I only want the dog pieces." And I became known in popular culture for the dog stuff, and it got to be misleading. That's not how I thought of myself-you know, the type of person who fetishizes kittens or pink or babies, who latches onto something.

SO YOU DON'T FEEL NAILED TO THE DOG CROSS ANYMORE? No. Now I see it as a wonderful thing that happened, and I am deeply entrenched in it. I feel blessed and very lucky. One year I took off working with the dog, and we were both pretty unhappy.

More...Smithsonian.com

**CraigK** · 3-Aug-2006, 16:48

.... a wonderful thing that happened, and I am deeply entrenched in it. I feel blessed and very lucky.

As one who owns, trains and hunts with Weimaraners, the breed of dog in Wegman's photos, I would feel blessed and lucky if he had chosen a different breed.

From a recent blog entry of mine:

And don't even get me started on those poor, humilated dress-up dogs of William Wegman. The artist-turned-marketing machine has churned out thousands of cutesy photos of dogs as Sesame Street meat-puppets and in so doing has accomplishe two things: he has become very weathly and, in my humble opinion, he has done more damage to the breed than rabies.

Why did this fellow, a pretty decent artist, and for all I know a nice guy, have to choose the Weimaraner? Why couldn't he turn his attention to a breed that is already screwed? Aren't there any cute tea-cup poodles out there that are actually bred to be dressed up as Cinderella?

Good ol Willy chose the Weimaraner because "they are pointing dogs so they are used to standing still for long periods of time". I kid you not. He actually said that (or something to that effect). Anyone with a Weimaraner, especially if the dog came from one of the many puppy mills out there serving the market Wegman helps to perpetuate, will tell you that most Weimaraners would rather spin and spazz than actually stand still for more than a quarter of a second. OR at least until the prozac kicks in... on both ends of the leash.

Now I must admit that I kinda like one or two of his photos. Certainly the ones where the dogs are "au natural" are pleasing to look at (the dress up ones are just plain wrong). Lord knows I take lots of photos of my dogs and I even sell the prints to collectors. No, it is not really the photos that bug me. What really gets me is the Wigman effect on the breed as a whole.

No one knows just how many Weimaraners are in shelters and in the hands of overworked rescue commitee members right now, today, as a direct result of cheap Weim merchandise being pumped out by the Wigman International Corporation 24/7. But I bet that if we did know the real number and the real damage done to the breed it would make a lot of Wegman fans see his work in a whole new light.

**Marko** · 3-Aug-2006, 17:07

Originally Posted by CraigK

But I bet that if we did know the real number and the real damage done to the breed it would make a lot of Wegman fans see his work in a whole new light.

Not to be a contrarian, but as both dog lover and big Adams fan, I would be willing to bet that the real damage done to the Weimeranian breed by Wegman's photos is incomparably smaller than the damage (still being) done to the Yosemite National Park by Ansel Adams' photos.

I also doubt that either intended that, quite to the contrary...

**John Kasaian** · 3-Aug-2006, 23:01

I wonder if Wegman shoots with a Wehman?

**paulr** · 4-Aug-2006, 11:12

Originally Posted by CraigK

... he has done more damage to the breed than rabies.

i'm confused. i can see how his pictures might have annoyed a couple of the dogs directly involved, but how did they 'damage the breed'?

**Michael Daily** · 4-Aug-2006, 12:22

And not one of the dogs blushed at the 'indignity' of being so photographed.
Michael

**Michael Daily** · 4-Aug-2006, 12:24

Have any of the truly degrading images of humans "damaged the breed"?
Michael

**John Kasaian** · 4-Aug-2006, 13:40

I think what CraigK refers to is that the photographs popularized the breed. Sadly, its monkey see, monkey do when it comes to dogs.

When the movie 'Big Red' was popular, Irish Setters were in demand not as hunting dogs but as pets. Breeders responded because of the profits to be had and began breeding Setters without regards to thier function. Now we have very beautiful Irish Setters who'd get lost on the end of a leash. The same is true with Dalmatians after '101 Dalmatians' was released and Collies after 'Lassie' was a big hit in films and tv. Most breeds at one time or another succumb to the puppy mill mentality--St. Bernards, Golden Retrievers, Dachshunds, Bull Terriers, German Shepherds etc... but few breeds IMHO have taken the brunt of eugenetic idiocy the way Irish Setters and Collies have suffered.

I don't think Wegman is at fault. Taking artsy pictures of your dogs is one thing, how people will exploit the market for profit at the expense of "man's best friend" is another issue entirely.

**Struan Gray** · 4-Aug-2006, 14:06

I bought one of those puppy mill Irish Setters once, and I agree that they are completely hopeless. Mine just wouldn't stay in my handbag, no matter how many doggie-chocs I fed it.