Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]that is one incredibly beautiful dog portrait you have hidden there! > From: Phil Swango <pswango@att.net> > Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org> > Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 17:49:18 -0600 > To: lug@leica-users.org > Subject: [Leica] Eggleston links > > Phong and Philippe. Thanks loads for the Eggleston links. I really > enjoyed them. When I lived in Memphis in the late 60s Bill and I were > friends and I spent a lot of time at his house looking at pictures and > talking photography and music with him. He definitely changed my ideas > about photography. I also attended the 1976 MoMA show mentioned in the > Slate link and still have my original copy of the "Guide," along with an > invitation to the opening signed by Bill's wife Rosa. A "Guide" recently > sold for $750 in a Santa Fe auction. > > I have a few pictures of Bill from the Memphis years, and a portrait he > took of me hangs on my wall. One of my portraits of him was selected for a > show in New Orleans last year at the John Stinson gallery. The show > featured pictures of Bill by a host of other photographers who have known > him, some well-known. Mine was the oldest in the show, dating from > 1968. I posted a couple of my Eggleston pictures to the Rollei gallery > last > year: > <http://www.rollei-gallery.net/pswango/folder-3978.html>http://www.rollei-gall > ery.net/pswango/folder-3978.html > > At the opening of the N.O. show I got to meet his son Winston, who wasn't > even born when I knew his dad. We had a great time swapping Memphis > stories. > > Relating to the issue discussed in one of the links that Bill was a pure > Leica shooter, I can add some info. He loved Leicas but used mostly Canon > screwmount bodies when I knew him. He also used a Rolleiflex, Mamiya > Universal Press 6/9cm, and a 5x7 view camera. Later a Pentax, Stylus and > Contax (I'm not sure which models). Recently a Fuji 6x9, according to > Winston. I would generalize by saying he preferred the 2:3 image ratio > and a normal lens. > > I love his work but don't like to get drawn into discussions of its > merit. He's had a solo show at the MoMA and received the 1998 Hasselblad > Award, which puts him the company of artists like Robert Frank, Richard > Avedon, and HCB. That's good enough for me. > > I know his work is hated by some and I hope not to start a flame war > here. If one starts I won't participate in it. ;-) > > > > Phil Swango > 307 Aliso Dr. SE > Albuquerque, NM 87108 > 505-262-4085 > 714-908-7846 (fax) > pswango@att.net > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >