William Wegman

William Wegman (1943) is an American artist and photographer whose inventive work has spanned decades of teaching, studio practice, and playful collaborations. Born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, he earned a B.F.A. in painting from the Massachusetts College of Art (1965) and an M.F.A. in painting from the University of Illinois, Urbana‑Champaign (1967). After teaching at the University of Wisconsin and California State College, Long Beach, he settled in Santa Monica and soon began exhibiting internationally, with early solo shows at Sonnabend Gallery in New York and Paris.

In 1970 Wegman adopted his first Weimaraner, Man Ray, whose deadpan presence became central to Wegman’s photographs and video pieces. Following Man Ray’s death he worked with Fay Ray and, later, her offspring—Battina, Crooky, Chundo, Chip, Bobbin, and Penny—creating acclaimed children’s books and Polaroid portraits that blend humor, surrealism, and formal rigor. These dog collaborators have since become icons of contemporary art and pop culture alike.

Wegman’s career includes landmark exhibitions—from “When Attitudes Become Form” and “Documenta V” to retrospectives such as “William Wegman: Paintings, Drawings, Photographs, Videotapes” at the Whitney Museum—and film and video work for Saturday Night Live, Sesame Street, and independent festivals. He has published numerous monographs, including Puppies and Being Human, and continues to live and work in New York and Maine, exploring painting, drawing, video, and photography with his current dogs, Flo and Topper.