Book club: 'Chromes' explores William Eggleston's love affair with colour

William Eggleston has a self-imposed rule when it comes to his photographic process - he famously restricts himself to only ever taking one picture of one thing. This somewhat spartan point-and-shoot approach and his subsequent glorification of the mundane has influenced everyone from Juergen Teller and Wolfgang Tillmans to Martin Parr and Wallpaper* contributor Nigel Shafran. A new tome, entitled 'Chromes', revolves around his early experimentation with colour and composition between 1969 and 1974, at a time when 'black and white' was still the byword for art photography.
Steidl's meaty volume in three cloth-bound parts, with text by curator Thomas Weski, presents Eggleston’s early Memphis imagery. It reflects on his stellar depiction of Southern America in the 1970s, which still prompts scores of fans to head out on US road-trips seeking to capture their own piece of the 'Americana' pictorial pie.
Designed by Gerhard Steidl and Eggleston and put together with the help of his sons, William Eggleston III and Winston, the publication brings together over 5,000 Kodachromes and Ektachromes (the transparency films that used to be the standard in the 1960s and 1970s).
Unearthed from the Eggleston Artistic Trust archives, most of these prints have never been published before. Which is why one such hidden gem - a photograph of an electric blue ceiling - acts as a compelling counterpoint to his most famous photograph, 'The Red Ceiling'.
Memphis-born Eggleston's love affair with colour and subsequent pioneering of the use of dye-transfer prints have come to define the arresting saturated hues seen in most of his daytime photographs. Lesser seen, are his night shots, which the book offers an intruiging glimpse of.
The weight of 'Chromes' is profound. The last time the archive was used was by John Szarkowski, who selected a more modest 48 prints which eventually formed the landmark 'William Eggleston's Guide', the volume that followed his groundbreaking solo show of colour prints at New York's MoMA.
Eggleston has never been one to title, date or even identify his photographs, and 'Chromes' effortlessly traces the themes and subject matter which became Eggleston's signature without putting too much weight on chronological order. Ultimately, it points to the way his eye saw images in a broader scale, which led to his unrivalled knack at creating a balanced composition out of seemingly random unconnected objects in all his photographs.
Steidl's meaty volume in three cloth-bound parts, with text by curator Thomas Weski, presents Eggleston's early Memphis imagery and shows his stellar depiction of 1970s Southern America
Designed by Gerhard Steidl and Eggleston and put together with the help of his sons, William Eggleston III and Winston, the publication brings together over 5,000 Kodachromes and Ektachromes (the transparency films that used to be the standard in the 1960s and 1970s)
Volume 1, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 1, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 1, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 1, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 1, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 1, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 1, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 1, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston.
Volume 1, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 2, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 2, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 2, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 2, 1969-1974 from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 2, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston.
Volume 2, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 2, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 2, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston.
Volume 2, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 2, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 2, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 2, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 2, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 2, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 3, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 3, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 3, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 3, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston.
Volume 3, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 3, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 3, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 3, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 3, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston.
Volume 3, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 3, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Volume 3, 1969-1974, from 'Chromes' by William Eggleston
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
ICON 4x4 goes EV, giving their classic Bronco-based restomod an electric twist
The EV Bronco is ICON 4x4’s first foray into electrifying its range of bespoke vintage off-roaders and SUVs
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
‘Dressed to Impress’ captures the vivid world of everyday fashion in the 1950s and 1960s
A new photography book from The Anonymous Project showcases its subjects when they’re dressed for best, posing for events and celebrations unknown
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Inside Camperlab’s Harry Nuriev-designed Paris store, a dramatic exercise in contrast
The Crosby Studios founder tells Wallpaper* the story behind his new store design for Mallorcan shoe brand Camperlab, which centres on an interplay between ‘crushed concrete’ and gleaming industrial design
By Jack Moss Published
-
‘Dressed to Impress’ captures the vivid world of everyday fashion in the 1950s and 1960s
A new photography book from The Anonymous Project showcases its subjects when they’re dressed for best, posing for events and celebrations unknown
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Daniel Arsham’s new monograph collates the works of the auto-obsessed American artist
‘Arsham Motorsport’ is two volumes of inspiration, process and work, charting artist Daniel Arsham’s oeuvre inspired by the icons and forms of the automotive industry
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Era-defining photographer David Bailey guides us through the 1980s in a new tome not short of shoulder pads and lycra
From Yves Saint Laurent to Princess Diana, London photographer David Bailey dives into his 1980s archive in a new book by Taschen
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Inside Joan Didion’s unseen diary of personal relationships and post-therapy notes
A newly discovered diary by Joan Didion is soon to be published. Titled 'Notes to John', the journal documents her relationship with her daughter, husband, alcoholism, and depression
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Carsten Höller’s new Book of Games: 336 playful pastimes for the bold and the bored
Artist Carsten Höller invites readers to step out of their comfort zone with a series of subversive games
By Anne Soward Published
-
Distracting decadence: how Silvio Berlusconi’s legacy shaped Italian TV
Stefano De Luigi's monograph Televisiva examines how Berlusconi’s empire reshaped Italian TV, and subsequently infiltrated the premiership
By Zoe Whitfield Published
-
How a sprawling new book honours the legacy of cult photographer Larry Fink
‘Larry Fink: Hands On / A Passionate Life of Looking’ pays homage to an American master. ‘He had this ability to connect,’ says publisher Daniel Power
By Jordan Bassett Published
-
New Jay-Z coffee-table book dives into the Brooklyn rapper's archives
'Book of HOV: A Tribute to Jay-Z' is a hefty tome for a hefty talent
By Craig McLean Published