William Eggleston
Born in 1939 · United States
Giving importance to what seemed secondary.
The story
William Eggleston developed a colour photography of everyday places, faces and objects in the southern United States. Houses, streets, shops and cars are not neutral scenery: colours and details construct a distinctive vision. His presentation at MoMA in 1976 contributed to the artistic recognition of colour photography, without reducing his entire practice to that single institutional milestone.
Understanding the work
Begin with colours, then explore the details. An ordinary object sometimes becomes the centre of an organised whole; the absence of an obvious event does not mean an absence of tension or visual narrative.
Key works and series
William Eggleston’s Guide; The Democratic Forest; photographs of the American South.
Sources & further exploration
Works in collections.
10 recordsPhotographs to explore on museum and library websites, with titles, dates and processes. Each link opens the collection record and its image where one is available.