“I think I had often wondered what other things see- if they saw like we see. And I’ve tried to make a lot of different photographs as if a human did not take them. Not that a machine took them, but maybe something took them that was not merely confined to walking on the earth. And I can’t fly, but I can make experiments” – William Eggleston

William Eggleston’s vivid images of the American South reshape the ordinary into poetic moments in time. A pioneer in the use of color photography, the Memphis Native helped elevate the medium to be respected as the fine art form as we know it today. The portfolio of images on offer here are large 23 x 23 inch photographs that show a diverse group of subjects of the familiar landscape of the subdued American dream.

Eggleston began to create work for the 2 ¼ series in the 1970’s where he used a two and one quarter inch square format camera to shoot across California and the American South. Most of the images were published as a monograph by Twin Palms in 1999. Later that same year, the portfolio Cadillac was created from the selections from the larger series.

By not using the usual 35mm rangefinder, Eggleston was forced to slow down by the medium format. These images are representative of the common themes and subjects found throughout across his work. But these images also reference a turbulent time in history, for example there is an interior shot of a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. that sits between the heads of John and Robert Kennedy with nearby liquor bottles. While we don’t know exactly where this image was taken, we do know that by the time Eggleston shot this image in 1971, all three men had been assassinated. Photographing America during this time with an openness reemphasizes that Eggleston is a master at finding special moments in a world where they often get overlooked.