Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/08/14

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Subject: Re: [Leica] eggleston envy
From: "Rob Appleby" <rob@robertappleby.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 23:59:05 +0200
References: <5.1.0.14.0.20020814124314.024a8748@earthlink.net> <000d01c243d1$b5259480$aca4d33e@rob>

Actually, rereading what I wrote, I see I was unintentionally ambiguous. I
meant to say that the colour of the picture of the rolled car was very
typically egglestonian, but the subject matter was too dramatic or even
melodramatic. I associate him with the very ordinary - I love his pictures
of the contents of fridges, for instance - not the implied dramatic
narrative of this picture. Of course, it could be I've got him completely
arse backwards ;-)

R.
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Rob Appleby" <rob@robertappleby.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Wednesday, August 14, 2002 10:32 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] eggleston envy


> No aping is necessary, Carl ;-) Just go and do that thing you do.
>
> I find Eggleston's wonderful soft and yet rich colour very appealing. I
> don't know where it is, but there is a very simple picture of a woman
> sitting on a swing seat that's one of my favourites. It's the colour that
> makes it.
>
> Some of his work is very crude, to my eye - such as the shot of a pair of
> shoes under a bed, done with direct flash as I recall. A genuinely ugly
> picture, whatever the intent. But I do think that when he does it right,
> it's pretty unbeatable. He has hallmarked a style of photography, which is
a
> major achievement.
>
> R.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Carl Pultz" <cpultz@earthlink.net>
> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 14, 2002 7:19 PM
> Subject: [Leica] eggleston envy
>
>
> > Bob wrote:
> >
> > "..the one thing about it that seems Egglestonian to me is the colour.
> It's
> > too dramatic - it doesn't really fit my idea of his work."
> >
> > The image on the N'Yorker site is brighter and more saturated than the
way
> > the picture looks in the book, 2 1/4. In fact, like several shots in
that
> > book, it is rather washed out, like a chrome that is a bit overexposed.
> > It's rather soft focused, too, like he focused just a bit short of the
> car.
> > Someone else suggested these were old Ektachromes that were fading by
the
> > time the book was assembled in 1999.
> >
> > Anyway, I am crazy for Eggleston. Too crazy. I can't help imitating the
> > guy, like one of the shots I just posted. If they start to be good
> > imitations, I'll feel a little better about this.
> >
> > It seems that his work has gotten softer over the years, color wise. The
> > stuff in Democratic Forest looks more subtle to me than the earlier work
> in
> > the Guide. I've never seen an actual print, so I don't really know how
> much
> > is production variations in the books I have.
> >
> > If I found myself in Hebron, I might be able to ape Mr. Appleby just a
> > little. Astonishing work, sir, and an important story. I hope they know
> > that not all Americans are against them, for whatever that's worth.
> >
> > Carl
> >
> > --
> > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
> >
>
>
> --
> To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
>


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In reply to: Message from Carl Pultz <cpultz@earthlink.net> ([Leica] eggleston envy)
Message from "Rob Appleby" <rob@robertappleby.com> (Re: [Leica] eggleston envy)