Sourhern photographer William Eggleston

May 1, 2009 9:13 AM

William Eggleston...an American(a) photographer takes intensly colorful photographs of junk, hotel rooms, road sides. Its been done by lots of photographers, and unintentional imitators, but he's made a real name for himself. So much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens.
posted by celerystick (16 comments total)

William Eggleston's Guide is an indispensable classic.
posted by HumanComplex at 9:16 AM on May 1, 2009

I do believe I've been one of Eggleston's "unintentional imitators" myself, in many a pic I've snapped. I've only very recently discovered him. I like his stuff a lot.

There's actually a flickr group whose aim is to compile photographs that display something of that elusive Eggleston quality: it's called At war with the obvious.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:30 AM on May 1, 2009

Great post - I'm glad I now know about this man and his work. Thanks.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 9:50 AM on May 1, 2009

Eggleston's a game-changer for sure. His color is dee-lish and his use of the 35 mm is dynamite. Once, many moons ago, I happened upon a few of his 2 1/4 images at a show at Columbia College in Chicago. His best known work is 35, so these might be new to some. Enjoy.
posted by barrett caulk at 10:00 AM on May 1, 2009

Bach Cello Suite on the Banjo, huh? Hear something new every day.
posted by The Bellman at 10:10 AM on May 1, 2009

So much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens.

I use it to carry my sweet, cold, stollen plums.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:26 AM on May 1, 2009 [1 favorite]

Bach Cello Suite on the Banjo, huh? Hear something new every day.

AARGH! Goddamnit! My audio is busted. I need need to hear that! Sounds brilliant.
posted by barrett caulk at 10:39 AM on May 1, 2009

Strange. I thought I'd posted about Eggleston here before. He makes some 'interesting' photos.

Strandard in Canton by William Eggleston.
posted by chunking express at 11:07 AM on May 1, 2009

I bought the photobook that goes with this exhibit, and it's a great retrospective of his work, well worth the money.
posted by chunking express at 11:09 AM on May 1, 2009

Eggleston is from Memphis, and around here he's a pretty notorious eccentric in the Faulkner mode. A few years back, a new art gallery opened in a refurbished Memphis industrial building called the Powerhouse. They asked Eggleston to open the space with an exhibit of his work. Instead, he set up a synthesizer and played organ music in the big, booming main exhibit hall.
posted by vibrotronica at 2:18 PM on May 1, 2009

Eudora Welty's intro to The Democratic Forest, an Eggleston collection.
posted by raysmj at 2:39 PM on May 1, 2009

Also famed in pop rock circles for the fetching cover of Big Star's Radio City.
posted by Dr.Pill at 3:08 PM on May 2, 2009

Probably not as well recognized as he deserves to be.
posted by dancephotographer at 6:36 PM on May 2, 2009

i hear elvis is beginning to make a real name for himself, even though he kind of imitates shakin stevens.
posted by sgt.serenity at 5:48 AM on May 3, 2009

I made a real name for myself
but I forgot it you know, right away
now I'm trying to remember
but I'm making very little headway
well anyway, making a name for yourself
ain't all that it's cracked up to be
a rose, or whatever, by any other name
is a rose, or whatever, you see
just a rose, or whatever, you see
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:54 AM on May 3, 2009

I took a trip to New York just to see the exhibit at the Whitney (OK, I was already in Philadelphia, but still), bought the photobook, etc... I guess I'm kind of an Eggleston fanboy.
posted by klausness at 5:31 PM on May 4, 2009