William Eggleston: Democratic Camera, Photographs and Video, 1961-2008

by William Eggleston (Photographer), Donna De Salvo (Contributor), Stanley Booth (Contributor)

Elvis’s Graceland, a freezer stuffed with food, a Gulf gasoline sign standing in a deserted rural landscape—these are only a few of the iconic images captured by the “democratic camera” of photographer William Eggleston. Not only has he drawn upon images so telling of American culture, he has produced them with an intensity and balance of color that have helped elevate the entire field of color photography to a fine art, especially since his 1976 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art.

 

Drawing together Eggleston’s famous and lesser-known works, this lavishly illustrated catalogue is the first to examine both his photography and videos. Of particular relevance are his black-and-white images from the late 1950s and 1960s, which helped shape his color photography, as well as the relationship between his provocative video recordings of 1970s Memphis nightlife and his later work. Included are reproductions of newly restored prints, executed specifically for the exhibition.

 

Filled with new and challenging contributions to scholarship and accompanying the first major U.S. survey of his work, this catalogue will prove the standard reference for Eggleston’s photographs for years to come.

 

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published December 2, 2008

About the author

Born in Memphis and raised in Sumner, Mississippi, William Eggleston was, even in youth, more interested in art and observing the world around him than in the more popular southern boyhood pursuits of hunting and sports. While he dabbled in obtaining an education at a succession of colleges including Vanderbilt and Ole Miss, he became interested in the work of Robert Frank and Henri Cartier-Bresson, and began taking black and white photographs with the Leica camera a friend had given him. He began experimenting with color photography in 1965. Although processes for color photography had existed in various forms since the turn of the century, at that time it still was not considered a medium for fine art, and was mostly relegated to the world of advertising.

Eggleston was the first photographer to have a solo show of color prints at the MoMA in 1976. Accompanied by the release of the book William Eggleston's Guide, it was a watershed moment in the history of photography.

Reviews

[Jeff Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Career-spanning overview of Eggleston's work with helpful essays that outline his life and influences. It also devotes space to his important video of nighttime southern debauchery "Stranded in Canton." Docked a star because it feels a bit like a random greatest hits compared with the cohesion of his other books.

[Edna · Rating 5 out of 5]

the first time I saw his color photos of "the South" I was blown away. and still am. This is a good book on him. And it also mentions William Christenberry who he studied with - I think he also is an amazing artist = was fortunate to hear him discuss his art at his home in DC when he was at the Corcoran . And , it also alludes to Martin Parr - another English photographer who just passed , who also photographed the every day of an area. If you have not read about them or seen their work , gibe it a look. Many books on all of them.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful, a treat for the eyes.
Thought-provoking images from common ordinary life - but quirky.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would like to spend more time reading this.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great addition to my collection of Eggleston Books. A must for collectors.

[Bruce Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Father of Color Photography! Accompanying essays are great; color technique in pre-digital world amazing.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is what I would call a 'coffee table' book with mostly color plates of William Eggleston's photography. Some of his pictures I really liked but others didn't impress me. There are some dry articles about his work and life and apparently why he is so important as a photographer. He did breakthrough with getting color photography respected as an art although there was much criticism at the time of his first museum exhibit. The 'democratic' references to his pictures mean that he insists that his pictures do not emphasize any aspect over any others. I think this is indeed his strength is many of his pictures of the 'ordinary' in the American south. The articles also discussed an experimental film he made titled Stranded in Canton. It seems to be on YouTube but at this point in my life, I think I've had enough of seemingly pointless experimental films. (Really one of the participants sticks a beer bottle up his butt--just because it's JackAss doesn't mean it's art.) I do wish my library had more of his works but alas this is the only book in the collection. Perhaps another time I will see if I can get more through interlibrary loans.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great overview of Eggleston, who was a pioneer of color photography. There are several essays to accompany the photos, some great, some not so great. In a couple there is a compelling argument for Eggleston as a pop artist rather than a Southern Gothic artist or regionalist of some stripe. The insistence that any subject is as good as another, that no photo could be favored or the others he took, the due praise given to Cartier-Bresson, Frank & Winogrand, these all bolster the case for the "democratic forest."
Still, there are some shots in here that have become famous. There are some shots that have become familiar from repetition. Some are so startling and some so perfect, that it is hard to wholeheartedly agree. There is grumbling in other reviews about the paragraphs given to the video work, which is hard to appreciate as silent stills, but sometimes startling and sometimes perfect when you are stranded in canton.

[Adrian]

Eggleston was among the first photographers of urban street photography (for lack of a better tag) to use colour film in his work. This volume features over 200 plates of his work of ordinary objects shot from odd angles. I really enjoyed about a third of them and while I don't think he's top rank for me he does deserve credit for branching out into colour film when others wouldn't. The essay at the front on Eggleston's life is interesting too.

[Tosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The great American Southern Goth Photographer. This is a catalogue to a retrospective that just took place, and it's a superb collection of his images from the beginning to the current. Eggleston is a Southern dandy, who has an incredible eye to capture the world around him. Essential photo book.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photos are unquestionably 5 stars. This book gets a 4 due to a mixed bag of essays, curatorial choices, and making much too big of a stink about the video work. Still, a nice starting point for folks who have Wm Eggleston's Guide but aren't familiar with his other books.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can read my review of the exhibitiion at

[Lennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful, colorful photos of the mundane.

[dv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realizzato in occasione della mostra al Whitney Museum del 2009, è un libro di grande formato con buone riproduzioni che coprono tutta la produzione di Eggleston, con una forte attenzione per il gruppo originario di fotografie confluito in "Guide". Gli apparati testuali non offrono moltissimo, pur non essendo privi di qualche indicazione biografica interessante (e di qualche immagine che ritrae lo stesso Eggleston).

[Bill Mutch · Rating 1 out of 5]

“William Eggleston: Democratic Camera – Photographs and Video, 1961- 2000. Elizabeth Sussman, Stanley Boots et al. Whitney Museum of Art, New York, 2008. ISBN 978-0-300-12621-1

It’s very seldom I write and post such a negative review. This book stinks. I have some dispute with the authors about items in the text, though very little with most of the pictures by Eggleston presented in the plates. My problem is with the design of the book by the publishing team and by the characterization of the artist as a seer in a democratic mode.
The style of the presentation follows a hip New York city paradigm of some decades, largely associated with MOMA photography curator John Szarkowski, by which pictures must be separated from relevant text, that biographical information must be limited to listings of exhibits and publications and that there are no contextual notes on the individual pictures save date, venue and possible location.
The idea was that the visual message of pictures should be able to stand alone on its own merits, regardless of context. Well, nothing exists without context. Szarkowski, a powerhouse, did give us the powerful conceptual tool of looking at photos as “mirrors, or windows,” but high order greats of the photographic pantheon like Cartier-Bresson and Werner Bischof felt that notes on context should be far more complete and closely associated with the pictures themselves. These were people known for the purity of their visual statements. The New Yorkers might figuratively respond...’Yes, but that’s photojournalism (Magnum, Paris)...we’re doing photo Fine Art.’ Bullshit. This is just pretension.

The widely separated front end text by various authors is worth reading; it does provide some insight into the Egglestons work, and when melded with the academically required lists at the end of the book allow the reader to laboriously synthesize an overview of the artist. Eggleston can be outright brilliant; some of his pictures really talk! BUT...I feel this selection was too inclusively edited. Some are deliberately obscurantist. The period deadpan style doesn’t always work, particularly when stripped of context, and I personally think his locus on the photo-pantheon is over estimated by the New York museum crowd.

Remember that my complaint here is not with Eggleston and his work...he, and they, are what they are... BUT...the editorial/publishing teams assertion that he is a Democratic Camera is just ludicrous. His family were large scale landowners. They had sharecroppers. In the old south they would have owned slaves. Young William began his photo career playing with toys costing half a years gross for his human subjects. You’ll notice in his earlier pictures that he’s usually a considerable physical distance away from the people. I’m not saying he’s exploiting them...maybe yes...maybe no...not enough information, but it’s clear that he’s largely a highly privileged dude out tinkering recording stuff. Is he exploring ? Is he slumming? Is he just looking for stoned kicks ? Is he truly trying to find an artistic vision?

Not my judgment call. A few of his pictures are REALLY GOOD. The book sucks...don’t buy it...look elsewhere if you’re interested in Eggleston.

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