“I only ever take one picture of one thing. Literally. Never two. So then that picture is taken and then the next one is waiting somewhere else.” – William Eggleston
William Eggleston is a photographer of the early 1960s. He does not struggle to go outside with the burning desire to document something. He does not know beforehand what he is looking for. But when he sees something, he will capture it. This is what is unique about Eggleston’s work. It is as simple and as complicated as capturing the image of life. Through the use of color photography and taking snapshots, Eggleston is depicts the cultural transitions from a rural South to a suburban society as well as remind his audience how these short-lived objects are what represent human existence in the world. His exploration of the dye-transfer process contributed to picturing reality in color rather than just portraying a certain lifestyle or concept. This allows for a more personal and intimate connection to one’s experience and memories.
Born on June 27, 1939 in Memphis, Tennessee, Eggleston lived with his grandparents. He was a bright but strange kid who found interest in building electronic gadgets, bugging and recording family conversations, and learning how to play the piano. Eggleston was so intelligent that he only had to hear a song once before knowing how to play it. He also taught himself how to use a camera. Then he began experimenting with color photography. It was still new at the time but Eggleston “wanted to see things in color because the world is in color.” Eggleston always saw things differently which allowed him to find what seemed mundane to others, very interesting.
Some of the greatest artworks by Eggleston includes a 1965 late afternoon, in which Eggleston is standing outside a supermarket in Memphis, Tennessee. He was able to capture the warm sunlight that had just caught the blonde hair and absentminded expression of a teenage employee who was organizing the shopping carts. Eggleston’s captures this picture in a way that the colors glow. Another is an iconic photograph of a weather-beaten tricycle. This seemingly normal picture draws attention to the importance of tricycles in the suburban area. This photo is not meant to induce emotions but rather wants you to pay attention to the apparent details such as the rusty handlebars, a front yard, and a house in the background. The photo is very interesting in the way Eggleston takes it from a low angle so that the tricycle looks like its bigger than the two houses in the background.
Eggleston focuses on the small details of an object or even a facial expression and can use that to narrate everyday life. His “snapshot aesthetic” expresses the new and the old, the boring and the exceptional, and the artificial and the natural. These works represent human presence in this world. He is able to capture these works because of his ability to bring new perspectives on things that seem normal to everyone else.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Eggleston