truth and beauty.

The Photography of William Eggleston

This weekend, while visiting friends in the city, I had occasion to see the William Eggleston retrospective that is being hosted by the Whitney. Alexander Calder's Circus collection is also on display for the next few month. Both exhibits were outstanding in their own right, but Eggleston's work was stunning. A pioneer in both the use and saturation of color film, his prints are rich, even prismatic, drawing the viewer to look at each print carefully, to pay attention to the precision and detail with which Eggleston has crafted each photo. To be sure, here is a man who has made his life's work out of photographing the everyday, the excess of time and experience in between the fleeting seconds where we rush to snap a photo. He has made these moments that make up our lifetimes feel novel once more. Once again, the ordinary becomes beautiful.

Eggleston's Democratic Camera exhibition shows through mid-January 2009.

have you seen this american life...