William Wegman’s iconic dogs drink their morning coffee, read the newspaper, and putter around in a tractor, in this 2007 project staged in Madison Square Park, New York City. Wegman began working with Weimaraners in the early 1970s when he created a series of experimental videos with his first collaborator, model, and muse, the dog Man Ray (named after the avant-garde Dada and Surrealist artist). The dog’s human-like behavior and deadpan demeanor became an iconic presence in Wegman’s improvised video shorts. In his later career his dogs are staged to mimic everyday human activities, wearing human clothes and gesturing with surrogate human hands, emphasizing the humor and absurdity that can be found in the mundane. Around the Park features a cast of canine characters enjoying a fall day at the park.

Around the Park was originally commissioned by Madison Square Park Conservancy.

Location: Security Credit Union Gallery