William Wegman graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, in 1965 with a BFA in painting and recieved an MFA from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, in 1967. After teaching at various universities, Wegman’s interests in areas beyond painting ultimately led him to photography and the infant medium of video.

While living in Long Beach, California, Wegman acquired Man Ray, the dog with whom he began a fruitful twelve-year collaboration. Man Ray became a central figure in Wegman’s photography and videos, known in the art world and beyond for his endearing deadpan presence. In 1986, a new dog, Fay Ray, came into Wegman’s life, and soon thereafter another famous collaboration began, marked by Wegman’s use of the Polaroid 20 x 24 camera.

With the birth of Fay’s litter in 1989 and her daughter’s litter in 1995, Wegman’s cast grew. His photographs, videos, paintings, and drawings have been exhibited in museums and galleries internationally. His most recent exhibitions have gone to Japan, Sweden, and the Orange County Museum of Art in California.