Artist Redesigns NYC Subway Station With Colorful Dog Mosaics

In the '70s, artist William Wegman adopted his first Weimaraner. Named Man Ray, the dog played a vital role in the evolution of the artist’s creative practice. Not only did the puppy prompt Wegman to turn his attention from painting to photography, but it also inspired the artist’s most well-known works: that is portraits of Weimaraners wearing clothing. While the majority of the portraits have been rendered on film, a recent collaboration has reimagined these photos as Stationary Figures, a series of subway mosaics.

Stationary Figures was commissioned by the MTA Arts & Design, a program which brings public art to the New York City Subway. Designed to grace the walls of the recently re-opened 23rd Street station, the eye-catching installation comprises eleven panels starring Flo and Topper—two of Wegman’s Weimaraners—posing as humans. More particularly, Wegman dressed them as the very people that will see the art on an everyday basis: commuters.

Whether wearing a flannel shirt or shiny raincoat, every dog captures the spirit of an everyday New Yorker. After dressing and capturing the pair, the artist relied on Mayer Of Munich, a historic glass and mosaic workshop, to fabricate mosaics based on the images. The result was glistening works of art that are making morning commutes a little bit brighter.