by Rose Picón, staff writer

Renowned artist William Wegman and his iconic Weimaraners are coming to Syracuse this April as part of an extraordinary original production of “Flo Flow” for SU’s Urban Video Project (UVP). Wegman has created an original video featuring his dog Flo which will be projected on the exterior of the Everson Art Museum through May 27, Thursday to Sunday, dusk to 11 p.m., and he’ll also be at The Everson for an artist’s talk April 10, at 6:30 pm.

The UVP video reflects Wegman’s interest in the ways in which his canines emote, often in deadpan ways – a project that has defined his career. UVP is a multi-media public art initiative of Light Work and Syracuse University that operates several video sites along the Connective Corridor in Syracuse, with a new one planned this fall for the Warehouse. UVP has featured works by several famous artists, and Jeff Hoone, executive director of Light Work ran into Wegman at an art show last summer and told him about the UVP project. Wegman was really interested in the idea of projecting artwork on this scale and decided to create a video specifically for UVP, according to Hoone.

Wegman is a marquee name in the art world, having exhibited nationally and internationally. His dogs are just as famous, having appeared on several television shows. A native of Holyoke, Massachusetts, he earned a B.F.A in painting at Massachusetts College of Art, and a M.F.A in painting at the University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana. After college, Wegman moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where he taught at the University of Wisconsin from 1968 to 1970, and then decided to venture west to Long Beach, Southern California, where he bought his first Weimaraner, which he named Man Ray after the famous photographer. He and Man Ray established a long and fruitful collaboration, until Man Ray died in 1981, His second dog, Fay Ray, went on to give birth to a large litter, providing Wegman with a collection of weimaraners to work with. They have been featured in Wegman’s works around the world.

Wegman is a true multi-media artist, having produced paintings, drawings, photography and video art. Hoone explains, “Early in his career, he was considered one of the pioneers of video art. When camcorders and portable video equipment became available in the 1960’s, Wegman was one of the first artists to work in this media.” Although Wegman is gifted in various media, he had become defined by his dog portraits. “These are extremely beautiful dogs,” says Hoone, “and Wegman got interested in their personality.”

Wegman’s dogs seldom appear natural. They typically are photographed wearing clothing, balancing geometric shapes on their noses, or in unusual settings. “Humor has always been an important part of his work,” adds Hoone. This treatment has earned both Wegman and his weimaraners great fame over the years, including featured gigs on Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and Saturday Night Live. Wegman has published many books with their photos, including children’s books and books for adults.

Wegman lives in NYC and Maine, where he continues to produce inspiring new works. Take advantage of this April opportunity to see him live, and watch Flo’s video at the Everson, 410 Harrison Street, just steps off the Connective Corridor’s FREE bus service.

Learn more at: http://www.urbanvideoproject.com/?p=887