By Amy Eisen
His name may not always be recognized, but his art is hard to forget: dogs doing things they don’t usually do and wearing outfits they don’t typically wear.
His name is William Wegman, and the Northeastern Department of Art and Design brought him in as the first guest speaker in their lecture series Sept. 12 at Blackman Auditorium. Around 200 students attended the event.
Art professor Mira Cantor was involved in arranging the lecture, as she knew Wegman before he was a famous artist when he was a graduate student at the University of Illinois.
“I thought he would be perfect to start up our lectures, because of how he’s moved into the more commercial without compromising,” Cantor said.
The Department of Art and Design has been trying to emphasize entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary areas, but as Professor Cantor said, “It’s hard to find a broad-based person that crosses disciplines and interests.”
Wegman’s art has a large range, from photography to painting, and his work has been shown everywhere from Saturday Night Live to Sesame Street to renowned museums throughout the world.
Wegman showed slides of his work throughout the lecture while making comments and telling stories, many that had the crowd laughing, sometimes even at him.
“It’s my most famous picture for God sakes, and I didn’t even take it,” he said regarding a photograph of his first dog, a Weimaraner named Man Ray, dusted in white powder. “It’s amazing what dogs can and want to do,” he said.
Wegman’s dogs wanted to do some unusual things, like wear bikinis, roller-skate and lounge on a couch fully clad in shoes, dresses and reading glasses. The results seemed to entertain, with every new image shown producing audience laughter. Wegman himself performed almost like a stand-up comedian, cracking jokes constantly.
“I loved his personality. I expected him to be like that based on his work,” sophomore psychology major Eliza Davidson said.
Wegman catered to the crowd, asking the audience how they wanted the lights, answering dozens of questions after his presentation, and even inviting everyone over to his house for a further look.
“If you come over, I’ll show you more. But I live in New York so you probably won’t come over,” he said, only half-joking.
While the dogs took up a great deal of the lecture, Wegman also discussed his views on photography, sharing his artistic insight and knowledge of the field he has been a part of for decades.
“A photo is like a map, turning something flat,” he said. He believes in constructing pictures rather than finding them through the lens. Wegman talked about the disparity between the Polaroid camera of the 1970s and modern day digital photography and Photoshop. While he currently uses digital, as Polaroids are no longer available for regular use, he still refuses to use Photoshop.
Students also enjoyed his more serious side.
“It was good for him to talk about his other stuff and how he got there, how he exists in history,” sophomore digital art major Daniel Horowitz said.
The lectures promise to be popular with students. As senior graphic design major Emily Plourde said, “They’re a chance to hear from people who aren’t teachers here, not influenced by the school.”
The lectures also provide students with a unique perspective. Wegman’s presentation was filled with humor and artistic insight. One of his tips: “If you got a dog, you just gotta take its picture. They require it.”
