The Fred Astaire of Southern Photography

Photographer William Eggleston, caused a big old stir when he was the first solo show at the MOMA in 1976--COLOR photographs. The NY Times called it the most hated art show at the time. But since, his work has been recognized as an important step in the lush, painterly color seen in modern photography, but most interestingly, Eggleston's subjects. He chose to use what he called a "democratic" method, wherein even the most ordinary things in life were included. Eggleston grew up on a cotton farm in Mississippi, and still lives in Memphis, and much of his work reflects the Southern landscape. A new documentary about Eggleston just came out, William Eggleston in the Real World. I understand there is another, and am seeking out both.

Eggleston also spent a lot of time in New York City, once living in the Chelsea Hotel with roommate Viva, the Warhol superstar. The hotel, of course, was also home to many other debauch diviners, (as mentioned in this New Yorker piece) like Johnny Rotten.

Larry Clark once called Eggleston the "Fred Astaire of Southern photography," a term I think Eggelston really resembles. Like Robert Frank, he shows the beauty in "everyday," and the rich colors coming from his large/medium format camera flow through my favorite contemporary photog Nan Goldin's work. This fall, they are travelling to Bangkok together, along with Juergen Teller. "Quite a crew" as Eggelston put it.