Biography William Eggleston

the red ceiling (1973)

William Eggleston was born in Memphis Tennessee on July 27, 1939. He lived in his home town Sumner, Mississippi with his father an engineer and his mother who was the daughter of a prominent local judge. it's is a safe assumption to say that William was a creative from an early age although an introvert, his hobbies included playing the piano, working with electronics as well as being drawn to visual media, buying postcards and cutting out pictures from magazines. Eggleston also developed an interest in audio technology.

Eggleston was sent to the Webb boarding school at the age of 15. in an interview Egglesston recounted few fond memories to the reporter stating "it had a kind spartan routine to build character ".

While Eggleston experience with formal education was not good attending Vanderbilt university for a year , Delta State college for semester (term), and the University of Mississippi (ole miss) for approximately five years , but not achieving an formal qualification. It was however during this time at university that Eggleston interest in photography began, a university friend gave eggleston his first camera a Leica.

Most of Eggelston's early works where inspired by the work of Swiss-born photographer Robert frank and the book by French photographer Henri Catier-Bresson's entitled decisive Moment. Eggelston recalls in another interview that Henri's book was "the first serious book i found".

Eggelston first began experimenting with , in 1965 and 1966's by the late sixties color transparency becoming his dominant medium . to this point Eggelston development as a photographer seems to of happen in isolation to other artist

In 1969 Eggestion had his first encounter "with the artistic community was a meeting with John Szarkowski of New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Szarkowski stating in an interview " the meeting with the young Eggelston, was totally out of the blue". And after reviewing Eggelston's work Szarkowski prevailed upon the photography committee of MoMA to buy one of Eggelston's pieces.

By 1973 through to 1974 Eggelston was teaching at Harvard. it was during this time he discovered dye- transfer printing. It is safe to say that the process of dye transfer resulted in Eggleston most striking and famous work. A good example of this is the 1973 piece entitled The Red Ceiling. Eggelston commented on his work stating "The Red Ceiling is so powerful , that in fact I've never seen it reproduced on the page to my satisfaction. When you look at the dye it is like red blood that's wet on the the wall.......A little red is usually enough , but to work with an entire red surface was a challenge "

At his second year at Harvard Eggleston prepared his first portfolio titled, entitled 14 pictures(1974) it consisted of fourteen dye -transfer prints. these pieces where featured in a 1976 MoMA, Eggelston created a guide to accompany this. The MoMA show is regarded as a watershed moment in the history of photography. It marked the acceptance of colour photography by one of the highest validating institutions.

During the period of his 1976 exhibition, Eggelston was introduced to the Andy Warhol circle the influence of such artist helped eggleston to develop the idea of the "Democratic Camera". Eggelston also experiment with moving image during the seventies producing a roughly edited piece entitled Stranded in Canton writer Richard Woodward liken it to a "demented home movie"

Eggleston's work is recognizable by it's subject matter, the use of ordinary things Eggleston unique ability to find beauty and vivid color in the most mundane of things.

I find Eggleston an inspirational character for 3 main reasons. The first is despite have no formal qualifications he was able to make a success and show his art to the world, the second is this vision that unique ability to see what others do not and third for bringing colour photography to the world. I am like so many others a fan