William Eggelston

William Eggleston 

William Eggelston is the American pioneer in colour photography. He was the first artist to get colour photography recognised as a legitimate medium of photographic art. Appearing in a 1967 art exhibition at the New York gallery of modern art.

Eggelston was born 1939 in Memphis, Tenesse. The home to much of his work, He still continuously shoots there. On his 18th birthday Eggelston received his first camera (a Canon Rangefinder). The year after he purchased a Lecia and his love affair with the brand began.

In 1959 Eggelston first laid eyes on the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson's, he instantly fell in love. Becoming very interested in Cartier-Bressons use of the decisive moment. Much of Eggelston's style has branched from certain elements of Cartier-Bressons work. As he only takes one shot per scene the decisive is even more important in his work.

Six years later in 1965 Eggleston Began working with colour transparency film then two years later moving on to colour negative film. At the same time meeting with other influential photographers of the times such as Garry Winogran.  This was also the same time he had his first part in an exhibition, a big thing as this was the first time colour photography was featured in a an artistic exhibition.
Eggelstons work wasn't received to well by critics being described as 'boring' and 'Perfectly Banal'. Although this was a total oversite of his genius it is in many ways true, as Eggelston work was compiled of the ordinary and mundane. So in a way it is 'perfectly banal' but in all the right ways. Taking an everyday object or scene and adding multiple layers of depth and intrigue.

Eggelstons keen eye and ability to capture the beauty in something ugly is what makes his work special. He focuses on the less important elements of a situation photographing ashtrays and the sky at a wedding for example instead of the bride and groom. His work has never had any purpose other than to be appreciated as art, which is part of the beauty of his work. There is not point and that in turn is the point. His entire catalog of work follows the same theme and thats 'life today' each image is a representation of when it was taken, whether this is the fashion, architecture, technology, drug culture of the time and so on.

Its interesting to see how Eggelston has influenced other photographer such as Martin Parr. Looking at Parr's work you can see a connection between the two photographer both photographing the world around them, shooting the mundane and ordinary but giving it that air of intrigue that it dosen't seem to have normally. Parr has taken a slightly more satirical twist to his work but still follows a similar path. You can also notice a difference in personality through the work, as Eggelston is a very shy and timid man his work rarelly featues people directly and if it does it almost fleetingly. taken so subtly that the subject hasn't noticed adding an amazing effect to the images. Where as in Parrs work you can sense more confidence with straight up portraits and subject interaction.

In the 70's Eggelston also experimented in film after witnessing Andy Warhole using video recorder. He took the camera back to his home town and further documented life as it was. Wild parties, friends, family and compiled it into the film 'Stranded in Canton' a surreal film that has received mixed reviews across the board.  

Overall I really enjoy Eggelstons work. It's easy to be arrogant about this style of work, saying anyone could have done it but I personally believe this isn't true at all. I seen many artists trying to emulate his work and a lot of the time its just stuff and it is banal and it is mundane. It takes a special type of photographer to make that banal subject matter beautiful and Eggelston does this seamlessly