Mockingbird • The Brief Gallery • 238 5th Ave. N.

→ Photo Info (Here) William Eggleston Unititled (Memphis, TN)
1989 The photographs of William Eggleston have been an undeniable influence on the medium. Without speaking for everyone in the show, it can be said that many photographers have eaten from his plate at some point or another. There are many that have at least dabbled from his entrée. Those that were influenced have either taken this guide and melded it into their own visual languages, or have chosen to move away from anything related to his style. Regardless of the outcome, his presence within the medium is undeniable. The used plates and the mostly eaten food on the counter possibly suggest an idea of his presence whether it was actually Eggleston’s leftover meal or not. Even though he has had worldwide fame and far reaching travels, Eggleston himself is a reference to Tennessee and more specifically, Memphis. It is, and has been, his home many years.

He is credited as being the person that brought color to a place of acceptance within the fine art photographic culture. His solo show at the MoMA in the mid 1960’s is now considered the hinge that originally began to swing open the door to validate color photography within the idea of fine art rather than the previously exclusive black & white qualification, which until then, classified a photograph as “true fine art.” History and his wide-reaching influence have given him the moniker, “The Father of Color Photography.”