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Selected Works: Reel 3

William Wegman

1973 00:21:41 United StatesEnglishB&WMono4:3

Description

The works on Reel 3 were produced during 1972-73, and re-mastered in 2005 when several newly available titles were added. The focus here is on social relationships and attaining the perfect life, be it through making the right decision, getting something for nothing, or just having it all. Many of the comic skits parody television ads and infomercials, and Man Ray has to make some consumer choices.

Contents:

Stick and Tooth, 1:00

Emperor and Dish, 1:09

Lucky T-Shirt, 1:04

Rage and Depression, 1:03

Speed Reading, 1:02

Born with No Mouth, 1:00

Dual Function, 1:33

Massage Chair, 1:35

Raise Treat, 0:25

Man Ray, Do You Want To?, 1:54

Crooked Finger, Crooked Stick, 0:39

Deodorant, 0:49 Bubble Up, 0:59

Joke Paper, 0:54

Model Child, 2:50

What Do You Want?, 0:39

Paper Meaning, 0:26

Same Old Shirt, 0:54

47 Seconds, 1:00

This title was in the original Castelli-Sonnabend video art collection. 

About William Wegman

Born in 1943, William Wegman studied painting at Massachusetts College of Art and the University of Illinois, Urbana. He began producing short, performance-oriented videotapes in the early 1970s, which are considered classics. Many featured his canine companion, a Weimaraner named Man Ray. These tapes are dead pan parodies of "high art" using sight gags, minimalist performance, and understated humor.

Describing the process behind his tapes, Wegman says, "I present a situation and develop some kind of explanation around it. By the time the story is over you get to know why that particular prop or mannerism was displayed." Recorded as single takes in real time, Wegman used portable video's intimacy and low-tech immediacy to create idiosyncratic narrative comedy. Wegman was among a group of artists to produce work through WGBH's Television Lab. In recent years, Wegman has become famous for his hilarious and touching photographs of other Weimeraners who are Man Ray’s successors.