By Jonathan Shih
William Eggleston (b. 1939, Memphis) is celebrated for transforming color photography into a recognized art form. Influenced by Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, and Walker Evans, he began experimenting with color film in the 1960s, turning to dye-transfer printing—a process admired in advertising but largely dismissed in fine art circles. His photographs of the American South focused on the everyday—suburban streets, modest interiors, and chance encounters—yet rendered them with striking intensity.
In 1976, MoMA curator John Szarkowski organized Photographs by William Eggleston, accompanied by William Eggleston’s Guide. As the museum’s first solo exhibition devoted to color photography, it marked a watershed moment. The reception was divided: some critics saw innovation, while others, including Ansel Adams, criticized the work as lacking substance. Over time, however, the show came to be seen as a turning point, and Eggleston’s “democratic” approach revealed how the ordinary could hold mystery, beauty, and depth. His way of looking at the world—and his singular pictorial style—continues to reverberate across contemporary visual culture.
© egglestonartfoundation.org
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