William Eggleston in the Real World

September 1, 2005 12:28 PM

"I am at war with the obvious", photographer William Eggleston once said, explaining his attraction to a ceiling lightbulb engulfed in a shock of red or an old Gulf gasoline sign sprouting like a giant weed against a rural skyline. Attempting to understand that battle, filmmaker Michael Almereyda trailed the photographer in action and in repose over a period of five years. The resulting film is "William Eggleston in the Real World". More inside.,
posted by matteo (14 comments total)

Eggleston images here, here, and here.


Kodachrome Moment: How William Eggleston's revolutionary exhibition changed everything.
posted by matteo at 12:32 PM on September 1, 2005

Excellent, matteo, thank you very much.
posted by carter at 1:08 PM on September 1, 2005

Dittos on the thanks. I've heard mixed reviews of the film but still want to see it. I hear Eggleston comes off as very curmudgeonly.
posted by billysumday at 1:16 PM on September 1, 2005

matteo, have you seen the film yet? I was cosidering seeing it at the fest as Eggleston is interesting. However, there are few filmmakers who can fuck up a movie like Almereyda.
posted by dobbs at 1:36 PM on September 1, 2005

dobbs -- ha! My first thought literally was: "How can you convey Eggleston's work in Pixelvision?"
posted by Vidiot at 1:57 PM on September 1, 2005

one pixel at a time?


d. -- I did. it's not half bad, if somewhat oblique (I confess I really liked Almereyda's Hamlet, so take your pound of salt) but my recent documentary dedicated to a photographer remains the excellent "War Photographer", on Jim Nachtwey's work
posted by matteo at 2:45 PM on September 1, 2005

but my favorite recent documentary dedicated to a photographer remains
etc
posted by matteo at 2:46 PM on September 1, 2005

Great post. Thanks.
posted by Elmore at 2:52 PM on September 1, 2005

Thanks, m.
posted by dobbs at 2:55 PM on September 1, 2005

Eggleston's work is breathtaking. (IMhO)
posted by R. Mutt at 3:40 PM on September 1, 2005

Hilton Kramer - a critic with an incomparable talent for getting it wrong - led the shrill choir of the indignant, likening Eggleston's work to the recent wave of photo-realist painting: "the banal leading the banal."

And by the way ... Artworld rule of thumb #1:

If Hilton Kramer dislikes work, the work is most likely REALLY good.
posted by R. Mutt at 3:44 PM on September 1, 2005

Beautiful stuff. I'd never heard of him. Thanks for clueing me in. Excellent post.
posted by wheat at 5:16 PM on September 1, 2005

Besides being the the world's greatest contemporary photographer, Bill Eggelston is a (semi) living legend. As a native Memphian, I can attest to the fact that two boasts can get you a free drink in that city: 1) Your Momma dated Elvis; or 2) Bill Eggelston has tried to kill you at least once.
posted by stacyhall1 at 6:12 PM on September 1, 2005

I was toying with posting that eggleston trust link this week .......i really , really love William Eggleston so much .
posted by sgt.serenity at 11:04 PM on September 1, 2005