Tate Modern Exhibition

ENERGY AND PROCESS

WILLIAM EGGLESTON

"I don't have a burning desire to go out and document anything. It just happens when it happens. It's not a conscious effort, nor is it a struggle. Wouldn't do it if it was. The idea of the suffering artist has never appealed to me." (O’Hagan, 2004, www.theguardian.com)

William Egglestone's work is part of the Energy and Process exhibition taking place at the Tate Modern. Simon Baker and Shoair Mablian have curated the exhibition.

William Egglestone's photographs are set out around the room in square black frames and they are placed at eye level so you are completely drawn in straight away. The theme of his work is "Life Today"; the photographs include elements of his particular style such as bold colours, interiors, cars and petrol stations as well as portraits of strangers in the street. The vibrant colours are contrasting with vivid reds, blues, and greens. The striking bold colours are particularly interesting in an image of an old fashioned petrol pump as the bright greens and reds contrast with the natural beauty of the trees casting a shadow over the background and then the sunlight coming through from the bottom corner showing the warmth.

This photograph shows how life today is battling the differences between nature and the human man. It shows everyday surroundings and the differences between the old and new, it clearly captures his world and his hometown. “Chrome is a selection of images from 1969-74 using Kodachrome or Ektachrome film, while Election Eve was taken during the run up to the 1976 presidential election and records a road trip around Plains County and Sumter County, Georgia, where Jimmy Carter's campaign headquarters were based.” (Baker & Mavlian, 2013, plaque) Therefore his work is retrospective as the photographs are mainly from a road trip so it is looking back on what he had seen.

This particular exhibition is inspiring even though his photographs are simplistic, the attention to detail and photographic style make them much more impactful. The locations and settings of the photographs would be perfect for fashion photo shoots and films, particularly the one of the road trip as it would be an ideal location for an editorial.

Bibliography

Exhibitions

Energy and Process, Tate Modern. 03/10/2013

Websites

O’Hagan, Sean (2004). Out of the ordinary. [online] London, The Guardian. Available at http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2004/jul/25/photography1 (Accessed on 03/10/13)

Plaque

Baker, Simon and Mavlian, Shoair. (2013) Energy and Process. London, Tate Modern.