William Wegman was born in 1943, in Holyoke, Mass. When he first perused an education in art he was interested in painting and went to art school. After he had finished his degree he became interested in photography and went back to school. William Wegman began photographing his weimaraners. He dressed them like humans and put them in positions that made them seem human-like. Some people argue that the positions Wegman put his dogs in were dangerous and cruel. I don't think his photographs quite classify as animal cruelty, but i do believe he does poses with his dogs that he probably shouldn't. Pictures such as the ones i have on this blog shouldn't be done. The animals really could have been hurt
doing these types of poses. Also keep in mind sometimes it takes several shots before a photographer gets the exact composition and lighting he or she was going for. So a lot of these poses had to be held for a good amount of time in order for Wegman to get the photograph he was going for. Most of Wegman's pictures involve animals dressed as humans; which I think is silly but not cruel. The pictures I have posted are some of the more controversial photographs. You decide art or cruelty?
Cruelty isn't something to be subjectively decided upon by each observer. Moral and immoral acts can indeed be quite objectively characterised. I believe Dawkins writes a little regarding this, with respect to suffering of animals. Perhaps it was Singer?
ReplyDeleteI had to walk out of the wegman exhibition once I realized what I'd paid to have done to these dogs. Exploitation of animals in order to provide overvalued trash viewed as artistic treasure... Aesthetically very displeasing. Learning about the breed and wegman background doesn't do favours either.