William Wegman: Video Works, 1970-77

A new exhibition of early video works by American artist William Wegman. Presenting ten film works made in the 1970s, the exhibition explores the artist’s continued interest in language, word play, visual puns, comedy, and storytelling. About After moving to Los Angeles in 1970, Wegman’s work emerged within the context of Conceptualism as the movement formulated on the West Coast. Developing in response to the codified exploration of text and image that defined the movement’s East Coast practices, West Coast Conceptualism evolved a distinct visual language and approach. Central to the movement’s exploration was a grounding in absurdity, the vernacular, and humour. Works on view propose irreverent considerations of the double-entendre, while others reveal Wegman’s engagement with established media, playfully critiquing the tone and commercialism of broadcasting, with deadpan deliveries of sales pitches and telemarketing. Wegman further complicates notions of performance and authenticity in his collaborations with his Weimaraners. First collaborating with Man Ray in an unprepared sketch where the dog chews at Wegman’s sound equipment, Man Ray becomes both performer and author. Works in the exhibition reveal the fluid interplay of the banal and the surreal that weaves through the artist’s practice. Read more Toggle Film / Video