Entabled, 1988 by William Wegman

We've never been bashful in our adoration of William Wegman’s expansive practice and have brought you two editions to evince the presence of humor and formal repetition and varying media in Wegman's work, in addition to the familiar presence of those gorgeous Weimaraners. And, we're always excited for the opportunity to share more with you about this intrepid artist's work and creative process. Today, this comes in the form of a piece about Mr. Wegman, conducted by The Morning News's Nozlee Samadzadeh.

Centered around William Wegman's current show, William Wegman and Fay: Polaroids 1987–1995, on view at Senior & Shopmaker Gallery through December 24th, Samadzadeh's interview with Wegman touches on the process of shooting 20"x24" Polaroids of his beloved dog Fay Ray. There was the behemoth camera that required the help of Polaroid personnel to operate along with the creative use of props to get Fay Ray up to the camera's eye-level, and the sometimes-gratifying restrictions imposed by the film format. We also learn of the almost serendipitous event from which this show was conceived:

Wegman told me how, when his assistant discovered a stack of forgotten Polaroids in a warehouse, the idea for the exhibit was born: 'You think of 35mm film, you take 20 or 30 photos on a roll and barely look at any of them. I did the same thing with Polaroids—I was producing so many per week that most of them went straight into storage.'

Read the full piece for yourself and view the impressive gallery of Polaroids from the series at The Morning News, and be sure to peruse the web-viewable catalogue for William Wegman and Fay to whet your tongue before heading to Senior & Shopmaker to see these works in person.

William Wegman and Fay: Polaroids 1987-1995
Senior & Shopmaker Gallery
On view through December 24, 2010
210 Eleventh Avenue at 25th Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Hours: Tuesday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Satudays 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.