The mundane world of William Eggleston

William Eggleston is an American photographer who has become known for his pioneering use of color photography in fine art. Born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1939, Eggleston developed a fascination with photography at an early age, inspired by his father’s interest in the medium. After a brief stint in the Army, Eggleston began to pursue photography seriously, and by the mid-1960s, he had developed a unique vision that would change the course of photography history.

Eggleston’s early work focused on capturing the everyday life of the American South, particularly in his home state of Tennessee. His photographs depicted mundane subjects like gas stations, parking lots, and diners, but he captured them in a way that was both poetic and unsettling. His use of color was particularly notable, as he was one of the first photographers to use color in fine art photography, at a time when black-and-white was the norm.

Eggleston’s work came to the attention of curator John Szarkowski, who included Eggleston’s photographs in a group show at the Museum of Modern Art in 1966. The show, titled “New Documents,” also included work by Diane Arbus and Lee Friedlander, and was instrumental in shaping the course of contemporary photography.

Eggleston’s first solo show, held at the Light Gallery in New York in 1976, cemented his reputation as a major figure in photography. The show, which featured large-scale color prints, was a departure from the small, black-and-white prints that were common in photography at the time. The vivid colors and large scale of Eggleston’s prints created a sense of immersion that was unlike anything viewers had seen before.

One of Eggleston’s most famous photographs is “Memphis” taken in 1970. The photograph depicts a child’s tricycle in the foreground, with a car in the background. The colors are vibrant and saturated, and the composition is both simple and compelling. The photograph has become an iconic image of Eggleston’s work, and it exemplifies his ability to find beauty in the everyday.

Another famous photograph by Eggleston is “Greenwood, Mississippi,” taken in 1973. The photograph depicts a bright green ceiling light, hanging against a background of peeling wallpaper. The colors are again vibrant and saturated, and the composition is simple yet striking. Like many of Eggleston’s photographs, “Greenwood, Mississippi” captures a sense of decay and neglect, but it does so in a way that is strangely beautiful.

Eggleston’s use of color was not always well-received by the photography establishment, however. Many critics saw his use of color as a gimmick, or as a distraction from the content of his photographs. But for Eggleston, color was an essential part of his vision, and he believed that it was necessary to capture the full range of sensory experience in his photographs.

In addition to his photography, Eggleston has also worked in other media, including video and music. In the 1980s, he began to experiment with video, creating a number of short films that explore the same themes as his photographs. He also collaborated with musician J.J. Cale, creating the cover art for Cale’s album “Naturally.”

Despite his many accomplishments, Eggleston remains a somewhat enigmatic figure. He is notoriously private and rarely gives interviews, preferring to let his work speak for itself. But his influence on photography is undeniable, and his legacy continues to be felt in the work of countless photographers who have followed in his footsteps.

Watch a BBC documentary about the life and times of William Eggleston. The colourful Mr Egglestone https://youtu.be/3jZ_HkaTXh8