Photo Showcase

William Eggleston

William Eggleston

Call #: 312066 0289 5856 6

Page #s: 54, 93, 146

The photographer I chose to showcase on my blog is William Eggleston, a popular American photographer of the 1970s and 1980s.  I particularly enjoyed paging through his work because he produced many vivid color photographs that have interesting themes and compositions.

The first photograph I have chosen to write about is on page 54, depicting a sharp light reflecting onto the corner of a dark, deserted room.  This photo interested me mostly because it's unique; it's not your average everyday photograph of the picturesque portrait or landscape.  To me, it's a picture of nothing, and making nothing into an artistic photograph is a chore itself.  

I am impressed with Eggleston's ability to control the exposure of the photo.  Since Photoshop and computers were not options for artistic editing in the 1970s, this picture is purely what is shown.  I also love how he captured the pattern of the floor tiles in the photo.  Although this uploaded blog picture doesn't demonstrate the detail that is actually depicted, each design in the illuminated floor is clearly visible, giving the photo more description of the eerie setting.

The second photo I chose to showcase is that of a still life on a kitchen table.  Again, the bold colors and simplicity of the work struck me as interesting.  This photo shows a display of condiments, often taken for granted, but that are irreplaceable in an American kitchen:  salt, pepper, hot sauce (but possibly ketchup), and sugar.  It is shown in a simple cooking environment, shelves and cabinets blurred in the distance, implying that these much needed cooking products have become a well accustomed part of an average day in the kitchen.  I also enjoy how Eggleston found grace in a still life such as this.  It shows me his creative side, and that he is able to look at ordinary objects as art work.  The composition also caught my attention in this photograph.  The condiments are barely un-centered on the table, portraying the significance of the negative space in the background.

The third photo I chose is my favorite; an no, I did not mean to save the best for last.  This photo really caught my eye because of the color and the composition.  I did not gather as much meaning from this picture as the other two I have showcased, however I'm sure there is a motive behind the artwork.  In this photo, the electric blue sky is unforgettable, unsurpassable, almost unrealistic.  The strength of the color nearly hurts my eyes, as I have never seen a color so evident even in real life.  I think that the photography of this color was the main goal of the picture, and that the dainty branch of flowering buds slicing into the sky just makes for a publicly needed subject matter.  The real photo shows a much more cerulean blue than my blog photograph, however, you can imagine.