The companion book to the Bowdoin College Museum of Art exhibition William Wegman: Hello Nature is available for pre-order from the Bowdoin Bookstore. Best known for his photography and videos, particularly of his dogs, Wegman is also an accomplished painter, draftsman, and writer, and an avid outdoorsman. In this unique and very personal volume, the artist and contributors examine Wegman’s relationship to place and his sources of inspiration, including Boy Scout manuals, field guides, and the like. By creatively incorporating these materials, this catalogue embodies the artist’s quirky and nostalgic aesthetic.

Hello Nature, a comprehensive exhibition showcasing more than 30 years of Wegman’s work, will be on view at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art from July 13 through October 21, 2012. It will feature more than 100 works including photographs, videos, paintings and drawings – all of which were produced in or inspired by the state of Maine. Taken together, this body of work attests to Wegman’s rigorous and sustained engagement with the natural world and places the artist squarely within the American landscape tradition. To mark the opening of this major exhibition, the artist will deliver a keynote talk at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 14, followed by a public reception at the Museum.