This set of images focus on people within their environment.
The images within this group follow, then are connected with William Eggleston.
This image creates an interesting narrative because one has to guess what or who the subject is waiting for with her dog. Also both the dog and subject are looking in the same direction as if they've spotted who they are waiting for, but the viewer will never find out this which leaves them asking questions about what she is doing. Her red jacket, alongside being placed in the middle of the frame, draws your attention straight to the girl. The red also makes her stand out from all the greenery which is like a frame around her.
As previously discussed this image shows quite a telling sign of the area when put along side the other six images found within this set. This sign is of the area being un-interesting because this photograph has the most people in it but they are all at a bus stop to leave for something better elsewhere. The cars in this image distract the viewer from the subjects and make the image have too much information within it, which is a drawback to the piece. The two subjects on the very left and right mirror each other nicely and are both looking out of frame, which could suggest there gazing off into the more 'interesting' area.
This image suggests how one can feel engulfed by their environment due to the towering building overcasting the small single subject. This image is quite bleak due to the cold square architecture and single subject, which reflects upon the areas feel well.
This image on the other hand, has a much more positive feel to it from the subjects smiling facial expression which contrasts the cold feeling of the last image.
The wall within this frame pulls the viewers eyes into the middle of the image where all the subjects are found. The multiple subjects suggest the area is quite alive, which is also backed up by the push chairs as their is new life being brought into the area. These ideas contrast the lifeless photographs I have previously published in this series.
William Eggleston is an American photographer who is widely recognised for legitimising colour photography as an artistic medium. Eggleston was inspired by seeing Robert Franks work and reading 'The Decisive Moment' by Henri Cartier-Bresson. He began like most early photographers capturing his work in black and white before experimenting with colour in 1965 and 1966, then making it is focus in the later 1960's. After finding his passion for colour photography, Eggleston decided to publish 'William Eggleston's Guide' which was shot between the years of 1969 and 1971. This was the first one-man show of colour photographs ever presented at The Museum of Modern Art and the museums first publication of colour photography. This show forced the world to take colour photography more seriously resulting in it being a accepted as an actual art form.
The reason this book connects well to my series is because it depicts William Eggleston's view on his home town of Memphis. The only contrasting thing between mine and his work is that I'm not from Swinton so its photographed from the viewpoint of an outsider whereas Eggleston has a more personal connection to Memphis, although our practise is closely related due to us both wondering round our areas documenting the landscape, people and odd moments.
His subject matter within this series is very ordinary, but he has an eye for finding the interesting within the everyday. And in some ways the everyday is the most interesting subject matter to capture because we are surrounded by it everyday so making it look interesting is incredibly hard. This series gives the viewer a good insight into Eggleston's way of looking at Memphis and the people he encounters. Unlike my work, he has connected with a few subjects within his pictures to create portraits of the people to give the viewer a better insight into the person, whereas my photographs are all candid to show my disconnection to Swinton.
