Period 6 -- Critical Analysis #11

1/30/2020

Today you will be writing about artist William Wegman, best known for his photographs of his Weimaraner dogs.

First, watch this short video interview with Wegman. You may use headphones to watch the video, or watch on your laptop/phone.

For your Critical Analysis, you will be answering the questions below in response to the video. Please answer in complete sentences and take time to think about you answer.

What kind of photographs does Wegman make? What camera/equipment is he known for using?
Consider your own experience as a photographer. What are some obstacles that might be associated with photographing animals?
What does Wegman say are some things that influence his work?
What does Wegman compare his video pieces to?
Do you like or dislike William Wegman's work? Why or why not?

Your analysis is due by midnight tonight.

Chloe C

1/30/2020 12:31:11 pm

Wegman makes photographs and videos that are typically of dogs. The videos that he makes vary from him talking to the dog to him making a song with his stomach. He used his camera and monitor to take the photos. He mentions that he took his camera with him to New York and would take it on shoots in a big truck with drying racks and generators. The camera that he used was very important to him and says that the camera changed him. I can understand the struggle in photographing animals because they never really sit still besides when they are asleep. So, I’m sure that it would be tough to get the dogs to sit still when they are so used to running around free. One thing that Wegman says influences him when taking pictures is knowing that his dogs whole life is being captured under one lens. He loves photographing things that he loves, whether that be family, friends, or dogs. Also, at the beginning of the video he says that he tries to follow the themes of current ideas in art magazines. Wegman mentions that while taking the video pieces, it seemed like standing in front of a three way mirror in the sense that you see yourself from different angles and it seems to estrange you from yourself. He says it is weird to see yourself talking in that way.
I enjoyed this short film and I do like Wegman’s work. It appeals to me because seeing images of dogs are not only extremely adorable, but also the images are pleasing because the dogs typically sit in the exact center of the images. The videos are interesting to watch, especially ones where he is talking to the dogs. It is funny to watch the dogs reactions.

isabella grossman

1/30/2020 12:31:48 pm

What kind of photograph does Wegman make? What camera/equipment is he known for using?
Wegman began as a painter and then began using the camera and monitor as his mediums. He initially started taking videos of his dog which were short “commercial style videos”. He was originally set on only shooting photos formatted on 8x10 until he was introduced to a larger camera. He then began utilizing a polaroid camera which allowed him to print colored images.

Consider your own experience as a photographer. What are some obstacles that might be associated with photographing animals?
Based on my experience with photography I think that it would be extremely difficult to have the dogs sit and stay where I want them to. In my opinion the dogs seem very well trained which I can assume because of how well the dogs sit and listen to Wegman, their owner.

What does Wegman say are some things that influence his work?
Wegman says that some things that inspired his work were figures that had a great impact on his life such as comedians and actors as well as a writer and scientific theories. Wedgman describes his experience as being overcome with a manifesto in which he found himself spiritually.
What does Wegman compare his video pieces to?
Wegman compares his video pieces to commercials in which he states allowed him to “come in and get out”. He explains that the structure which included a beginning middle and end added to the work and created a sense of purpose which made it formally satisfying. He also compared some of the situations in which he would film to interactions with with ones mother in which you try on clothes and begin to analyze your own body making you feel as if you were in a third person's perspective.
Do you like or dislike William Wegman's work? Why or why not?
I thoroughly enjoy Wegman’s later works of art. I am inspired by his composition style and his creativity in creating a setting and scene for the dogs to be inside of. I like that the dogs interact in the photo as a model would: posing, using props, different facial expressions, etc. I think that Wegman’s work feels very clean and modern and I really enjoyed when he spoke about how he likes to keep up with the present and use what is available to him instead of staying stuck in one practice using outdated methods.

Flint Rose

1/30/2020 12:33:06 pm

Wegman has an interesting style of beautiful absurdism. All of his work is very nice to look at, sometimes its hard to not look at it, but the subjects don't make sense. He takes may photos of his dogs. Sometimes the dogs are doing something very normal, but other times there in crazy situations.
I have found that it is very hard to take photos of living things. Humans and dogs alike do not want to do what you tell them to do, so when I see these pieces I really feel for how much time and effort it must have taken forever to good such good photos of his dogs.
Comedians Bob and Rey are what inspired Wegman, and I can see it. Some of the videos of his that were in the video made me laugh more than I expected, specifically the spelling bee one was quite funny.
Wegman compares his videos to TV or ad time. Unlike other video art, which could go for 30 minutes.
I like Wegman’s work a lot, his absurdist humor is quite funny to me. His pieces that are not necessarily comedy are also quite interesting to me.

Abby Muir

1/30/2020 12:36:35 pm

What kind of photographs does Wegman make? What camera/equipment is he known for using?
He used to shoot photos for magazines, but now he and He always took photographs on a 2 ¼ camera, always 8x10

Consider your own experience as a photographer. What are some obstacles that might be associated with photographing animals?
If you were photographing someone holding an animal, such as a dog or cat, they probably wouldn’t hold still.

What does Wegman say are some things that influence his work?
Surprisingly, his inspiration didn’t come from other photographers but comedians, such as Bob and Ray. Another was a writer, Borges, because of his idea of circular time.

What does Wegman compare his video pieces to?
He tries to make the make the videos look creepy, so he makes the dogs look like people.

Do you like or dislike William Wegman's work? Why or why not?
I really like his work, because he makes it look intriguing but creepy at the same time.

Ben Barlow

1/30/2020 01:53:48 pm

What kind of photographs does Wegman make? What camera/equipment is he known for using?

William Wegman was originally a conceptual photographer and videographer who focused on taking pictures of dogs, often in different scenes or costumes. He is best known for using the Poloroid 20x24 and 10x24 cameras.

Consider your own experience as a photographer. What are some obstacles that might be associated with photographing animals?

Photographing my own dog, I have learned it can be quite frustrating since dogs do not have the same attention span as humans. Once I had gotten my dog to pose for the camera, she had already run off to do something else. I have found it is much easier to take pictures of animals if you can find some way to incentivize them to look up.

What does Wegman say are some things that influence his work?

The main influences that affected Wegman’s art were the comedians, Bob and Ray, as well as an Argentinian author, Jorge Luis Borges.

What does Wegman compare his video pieces to?

Wegman compares his videos to the advertisments with a short time frame since he always tried to use his time effectively. In addition, he also compared them to when you are buying a suit and you are able to see yourself from three different perspectives, giving an estrange view.

Do you like or dislike William Wegman's work? Why or why not?

I respect William Wegman for his pictures, no doubt, but the fact that this man has made a career off photographing his pets baffles me. Most people spend their life being educated only to work hard 50 hours a week or more, while this guy lives off doing this for a living. I’m sure he’s very talented, but the fact that he has made plenty of money off doing this kind of upsets me. Regardless, yes, I do appreciate his work.

Nathan Harrison

1/30/2020 06:40:20 pm

What kind of photographs does Wegman make? What camera/equipment is he known for using?

Wegman makes composites of his dogs. He always used a 2 ¼ camera following a 8x10. A 20x24 camera was used in Boston Cambridge.

Consider your own experience as a photographer. What are some obstacles that might be associated with photographing animals?

Animals always seem to have a tendency to move when we want them to stay still, so removing any distractions from the animals’ immediate surroundings will prove to be difficult. Getting animals in a certain pose and have them stay in that pose is also difficult, so I kinda wonder how Wegman does it with his dogs.

What does Wegman say are some things that influence his work?

Comedians Bob and Ray and a writer Bourges were influential towards his work

What does Wegman compare his video pieces to?

He would compare his video pieces to awkward and embarrassing moments

Do you like or dislike William Wegman's work? Why or why not?

I like his work because he work with his dogs is probably the original dog head and human hands videos and they goofiness of the videos.

Tomas Espejo

2/2/2020 01:24:02 pm

Wegman created mostly black and white photos about dogs. The photos were composition with unusual characteristics for dogs. While he was creating these photos, he was using a Polaroid camera. His images were mostly 11 by 14 inch. And his camera was 20 by 24 inches.

Some obstacles that would be in my way would be to get the dog stay in place of the photo. Another problem would be to get the things on the dog and it not messing around. Getting the animal to face the same direction for a long period of time. The last thing that would be difficult to do while akin a photo of the dog is o get it, to just stay in the same place.

For his video pieces he wanted them to kinda speak towards the audience, and maybe make sure that the video had a story to tell. He also wanted to post his pieces on a type of media. William didn’t want his videos to be real, he wanted them to be sort of imaginary. He also wanted them to be short, and get to the point.

Some of the things that influence William include of, were his parents. Another thing that inspired him was not other photographers but comedians, such as Bob and Ray. Another was a writer, Borges, because of his idea of circular time.

I like some of his pictures because they are simple, but some of them are too complex and they are weird. Some of his pictures have a little bit too much stuff in them. A lot of his pictures have so much non needed pazazz in them, that it becomes not interesting anymore. I dislike his pictures because of how much of a weirdness they really are.

Kellen Dukatnik

2/23/2020 08:15:49 pm

What kind of photographs does Wegman make? What camera/equipment is he known for using? He always made them from a 2 ¼ camera and 8x10. He made videos in his career prior to making photographs.
Consider your own experience as a photographer. What are some obstacles that might be associated with photographing animals? Problems associated include those that have to do with the attention span of animals, most animals often lose interest in what you are trying to make them do.
What does Wegman say are some things that influence his work? Wegman claims that it was comedians and a writer that influenced his work.
What does Wegman compare his video pieces to? He claims he compares his videos to extraordinary and embarrassing moments.

Do you like or dislike William Wegman's work? Why or why not? I enjoy his work because it is rather different from conventional works you would see being generated during his time

Isaiah Rettig link

2/25/2020 06:20:45 pm

Wegman photographs are known for their absurd and odd nature. Most of his photos have a dog as the main subject doing human-like things. He would shoot most of his photos on a Polaroid camera.
Though I have not tried to, photographing animals comes with the difficulty of keeping them still and getting them to strike whatever pose you want. It also comes with the debate if using them as the subject is morally right as the dogs or other animals often show signs of not enjoying staying still for so long or being dressed up.
Comedians heavily influenced the direction of his work.
He compares his video pieces to a documentary of the dogs’ life. He says that he grew closer to the dogs just by photographing them all of the time.
I like Whegman’s work because he does so much with such a simple yet silly concept. His art was also unique and pushed what could be considered art.

Comments are closed.

Period 6 -- Critical Analysis #11

Analyze

Archives

Categories

Home