William Eggleston

  I've learned to appreciate the photography of William Eggleston. While it's not trendy today to like suburban and rural photography there is much to like in his photography. It's a land mostly overlooked by the masses who can't seen to get enough of the same New York City over and over again. A descriptive word used by stupid people to make them seem smart when talking about his work is banal and I fucking hate that word when it comes to photography. Mr Eggleston states that "he's at war with the obvious"and this is a man that hung out with Andy Warhol and has greatly influenced David Lynch's suburban scenes. There are also two documentaries about the man.

  The only way to experience most of Eggleston work is from buying books. You won't find it on the internet and forget about buying prints unless you have $8000+ laying around for one. The problem is that there's only a couple small affordable books available and while they're good they don't dive deep enough into his work for someone like me who likes to explore beyond the greatest hits. If you want that bigger experience you have to be prepared to pay for it. The great German art book printer Steidl (there's a documentary about him) has printed several large publications of his photography but the price has put them out of the reach of photographers such as my self and actually I know of only one person who has bought one of the editions. While it would cost around $2000-$2500 to buy these four editions new you are getting a book with excellent craftsmanship and beautiful printing, unlike the books today that are mostly printed in China and quickly fall apart. A better bargain would be to find used copies and save a few hundred dollars. Especially if you like to look through books often and not purchase them as an investment.