William Eggleston exhibition at the Whitney

William Eggleston has an exhibition at the Whitney at the moment. Find an interview with William Eggleston about some of the images from his current exhibition at the Whitney. 

You can also see some of his images in the video/slideshow above as commented on by his son, Winston Eggleston, which I find even more interesting. 

Some excerpts from the description of the video:

"Winston suspended his own photography career to be his father's photographic assistant. Winston and his brother took over running their father's archive in 1992, attempting to organize and catalog the entire body of work. Negatives were in different cities and many things were missing; there are many stories of boxes of prints vanishing after a late night of partying. Bill's generosity played a large role in giving away innumerable photographs.

During the interview, Winston provided a window into his father's life and background: he loves guns, but does not hunt; likes stamps, likes old rugs, and loves Bach. Most importantly Winston was able to impart the feeling of being along side his father while he photographed. He provides us with a context for each image and expresses an adoration of the photographs as only a son can."

The exhibition is called "Democratic Camera" and is a collection of what seem to be snapshots mostly from the South of the U.S. Living in the U.S. as a foreigner has always been both a pretty amazing and let's say, sometimes very difficult experience, both in Houston and now in New York. Seeing the U.S. through William Eggleston's lens is quite an intimate look at American life. Even inanimate objects like chicken presented nicely on ornate porcelain plates became symbolic manifestations of American life.  

And of course, to quote his son:

"God Damn That's A Good Looking Blue."

But what this exhibition made me realize once more is that it's so important to drag my ass away from my computer every once in a while to get some inspiration. It's hard to get trapped in a few tricks that have worked for you in the past. I sometimes find myself stuck in the same compositions. And learning more software skills is not necessarily the solution. If only it weren't so freaking cold. 

To end on another cheesy quote: 'Every photographer who has lasted has depended on other people's pictures'

-- photographer Robert Adams

In any case. Enjoy the videos. They are very nice. 

Daniel looking at another exhibition piece at the Whitney