at war with the obvious

This past weekend, I went to view William Eggleston's show at the Whitney. I found the work profoundly calm, familiar, beautiful, lonely, still, and rich. The compositions were really subtle, and seemed to reveal a lot about the pure act of perception. The colors were very specific, rich, and retro. The subject matter was enchanting in a way. I found the images felt familiar, but not entirely. Eggleston said of his work that he was "at war with the obvious." His words are a sublimely accurate description of the common subjects in his work. I think the ordinary scenes become pretty zen in the aftermath of their photographed form.

I was surprised to learn that Eggleston pretty much paved the way for color photography as a fine art form with his 1974 solo show at the MOMA, which was less than favorably received by the public. In fact, one critic called it boring! I found this an interesting idea as I recalled the ordinary and quiet images I saw. In this case, I think boring is a perfectly flattering description of his work. I think we can appreciate great beauty in the everyday environment around us. Sometimes it's the only thing that keeps us going.

P.S. Interesting fact: William Eggleston is a huge drunk:)

On view through January 25, 2009
Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street
New York, NY 10021