William Eggleston - Emulation Project
William Eggleston is a 20th century American photographer. He began photographing his life in the 1960s, his knowledge of photography being derived from the illustrated books of Walker Evans, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Robert Frank (J. Paul Getty Museum). As the 1970s unfolded, he began to expand on their ideas and grow into his own style; becoming most famous for his use of the dye transfer print process, which brought color to non-commercial photography. In an extensive interview with Sean O'Hagan, Eggleston describes his 'mode' of photography:
For my final project, I've decided to emulate Eggleston by utilizing 2 collections of his work. One published under the name, The Democratic Forest. It's 10 volume set contains about 1000 of Eggleston's 12,000+ photographs. The "democratic" in Eggleston's title refers to a democracy of vision, through which "the most mundane subjects are represented with the same complexity and significance as the most elevated (The Democratic Forest, Selected Works). I've also decided to utilize his Los Alamos Project, which includes his very first dye transfer print. This series focuses more on the 'beaten paths' of the U.S, following Eggleston's personal journey through the South via road trip.
I chose both because I love the content of The Democratic Forest, but I love the subject matter of Los Alamos. I think in creating a hybrid of the two, I will have the greatest opportunity to emulate his work while remaining true to my own style and interests.
My plan is to recreate William's vision in a few ways:
1. I'll only take 1-2 frames of each subject (proven by my contact sheets).
2. I'll photograph with the idea that everything is worth looking at, inside and outside: the more ordinary the subject the better. That being said, my series will feature minimal human presence, but focus on the lives and objects of every day people.
3. I plan on utilizing low angle vantage points, often underneath subjects or vertically down (closer to ground, similar to a child's perspective of the world).
4. I will be editing the colors on these photos in 3 ways: one being to reenact the warm tones used in William's photography. I will also be heightening the saturation and deepening my shadows to increase emphasis on each subject.
5. I will be printing all of my images on 13x19 paper, similar to the 12x18 prints from William's Los Alamos series.
“I had this notion of what I called a democratic way of looking around, that nothing was more or less important...I don’t have a burning desire to go out and document anything. It just happens when it happens. It’s not a conscious effort, nor is it a struggle... 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.” (The Guardian).Eggleston in the Real World, a documentary which showcases Eggleston's photographic process, as well as his life outside the dye transfer printing studio, points out that William doesn't shoot photos of people -- they get overcrowded out of the frame. Instead, he captures a 'democracy' of inanimate objects. His subjects are plain, ordinary objects, showcased on their lonesome at an uncustomary angle. There's nothing particularly redeeming about any photo 'But the way he looks at his subjects - from strange angles, saturated with intense light and colour - gives them an iconic stature, investing them with mystery and grace; (Telegraph UK). Eggleston, the father of color photography as some proclaim, uses vivid, and highly saturated tones to surround the plainness of his subjects. One writer notes his color use as "shrill to the point of near hysteria" (The Independent).
For my final project, I've decided to emulate Eggleston by utilizing 2 collections of his work. One published under the name, The Democratic Forest. It's 10 volume set contains about 1000 of Eggleston's 12,000+ photographs. The "democratic" in Eggleston's title refers to a democracy of vision, through which "the most mundane subjects are represented with the same complexity and significance as the most elevated (The Democratic Forest, Selected Works). I've also decided to utilize his Los Alamos Project, which includes his very first dye transfer print. This series focuses more on the 'beaten paths' of the U.S, following Eggleston's personal journey through the South via road trip.
I chose both because I love the content of The Democratic Forest, but I love the subject matter of Los Alamos. I think in creating a hybrid of the two, I will have the greatest opportunity to emulate his work while remaining true to my own style and interests.
My plan is to recreate William's vision in a few ways:
1. I'll only take 1-2 frames of each subject (proven by my contact sheets).
2. I'll photograph with the idea that everything is worth looking at, inside and outside: the more ordinary the subject the better. That being said, my series will feature minimal human presence, but focus on the lives and objects of every day people.
3. I plan on utilizing low angle vantage points, often underneath subjects or vertically down (closer to ground, similar to a child's perspective of the world).
4. I will be editing the colors on these photos in 3 ways: one being to reenact the warm tones used in William's photography. I will also be heightening the saturation and deepening my shadows to increase emphasis on each subject.
5. I will be printing all of my images on 13x19 paper, similar to the 12x18 prints from William's Los Alamos series.
Bibliography
"Out of the ordinary". Interview with Sean O'Hagan, www.theguardian.com. July 24, 2004
(https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3647871/A-very-singular-vision.html)
http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/1505/william-eggleston-american-born-1939/
Glover, Michael. “Genius in Colour: Why William Eggleston Is the World's Greatest.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 22 Apr. 2013, www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/genius-in-colour-why-william-eggleston-is-the-world-s-greatest-photographer-8577202.html.
Szarkowski, John. “Introduction to William Eggleston's Guide.” WILLIAM EGGLESTON, Eggleston Trust, 2002, www.egglestontrust.com/guide_intro.html.
Hagen, Charles, and William Eggleston. "An Interview with William Eggleston." Aperture 115 (1989): 40-77.
The Democratic Forest, Selected Works (David Zwirner Books, Steidl, 2016)
http://www.egglestontrust.com/aperture_summer_1989.html
"Out of the ordinary". Interview with Sean O'Hagan, www.theguardian.com. July 24, 2004
(https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3647871/A-very-singular-vision.html)
http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/1505/william-eggleston-american-born-1939/
Glover, Michael. “Genius in Colour: Why William Eggleston Is the World's Greatest.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 22 Apr. 2013, www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/genius-in-colour-why-william-eggleston-is-the-world-s-greatest-photographer-8577202.html.
Szarkowski, John. “Introduction to William Eggleston's Guide.” WILLIAM EGGLESTON, Eggleston Trust, 2002, www.egglestontrust.com/guide_intro.html.
Hagen, Charles, and William Eggleston. "An Interview with William Eggleston." Aperture 115 (1989): 40-77.
The Democratic Forest, Selected Works (David Zwirner Books, Steidl, 2016)
http://www.egglestontrust.com/aperture_summer_1989.html
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