William Eggleston pioneered the use of color in artistic photography, which had previously been almost exclusively a black-and-white medium. Although his pictures—almost defiantly untitled encapsulations of ordinary scenes—were initially dismissed by critics as banal, these vibrant, subtly haunting pieces are now recognized as being an enormous influence on major artists and filmmakers over the last three decades (including Jürgen Teller, Gus Van Sant, and David Lynch). Documentarian Reiner Holzemer's half-hour-shy 2007 portrait William Eggleston: Photographer was made in cooperation with the Eggleston Trust, which means that it's unfailingly respectful, but also welcome, since the somewhat reclusive Eggleston has been relatively uncommunicative about his artistic ideals, preferring to have his pictures speak for themselves. Here, the camera follows Eggleston as he prowls locations, searching for compositions on which to train his lens, and offers comments—often brusque, to be sure, but revealing—about his philosophy and idiosyncratic technique. Along the way, Holzemer manages to shoehorn in a nice, if rather superficial, biographical sketch of the artist, covering his boyhood, education, early b&w photographs, and New York experiences with the Andy Warhol coterie. Offering a rare inside glimpse of a significant modern artist at work, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
William Eggleston: Photographer
(2008) 26 min. DVD: $19.99. Microcinema International (avail. from most distributors). PPR. Closed captioned. Volume 24, Issue 3
William Eggleston: Photographer
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