William Eggleston 2 1/4

Rating:
Summary: Beg, borrow, buy or steal this book
Review: I've looked at thousands of photo books in my life and this is one of my personal favorites. Why? It isn't, for the most part, because of the subject matter. Eggleston's images are pretty banal -- common everyday objects that we routinely ignore. I like this book because it shows an undisputed master dealing simultaneously with two photographic problems -- color and a square image format. Even if you don't agree with Szarkowski's assertion that Eggleston was the first photographer to actually see in color (in contrast to the emphasis upon form and texture that characterizes black and white photography), there is no disputing the originality of his vision and the influence that it has had on subsequent generations of photographers. The images in this book, from early in his career, beautifully display that vision. But, unlike any of his other photographs, the ones in this book are square. Most photographs are reproduced in rectangular format, providing them with a natural visual tension. Faced with a square format, many photographers opt for symmetry as a compositional strategy. Not Eggleston -- he uses color to create disproportionate visual weights and add a visual dynamic to the images. For a nice contrast, compare the images in this book to those in Larry Fink's Social Graces (black and white photos in the 2 1/4 format) to appreciate the difference between using color (Eggleston) and non-symmetric form (Fink) to get rid of the structural monotony of the square image format. Finally, this book is an absolute delight to hold. The pages and cover, as with most other Twin Palms books, provide tactile pleasures a quantum leap beyond those in 98% of other books.

Rating:
Summary: Washed out
Review: I've viewed this book side by side with the Hasselblad Award Book, and I find the quality of the printing in 2 1/4 to be inferior to that in the Hasselblad volume. I think the selection of the photos is excellent, but the reproductions in this particular book are somewhat washed out. With an artist such as Eggleston,the color printing process is essential to communicating his vision. I found the quality of the printing in this book to be a disservice to his art.

Rating:
Summary: Washed out
Review: I've viewed this book side by side with the Hasselblad Award Book, and I find the quality of the printing in 2 1/4 to be inferior to that in the Hasselblad volume. I think the selection of the photos is excellent, but the reproductions in this particular book are somewhat washed out. With an artist such as Eggleston,the color printing process is essential to communicating his vision. I found the quality of the printing in this book to be a disservice to his art.

Rating:
Summary: A fine addition to the Eggleston catalog
Review: This is a beautiful book, and those familiar with the photographer's work over the years will recognize his visual flair for color and love of the mystery in commonplace objects. In response to the previous reviewer, who was disappointed with the quality of image reproduction, I think the problem lies in the aging of the source negatives and/or transparencies...the sad but inevitable changes wrought by time. Twin Palms has done a fine job with this volume of early work by a master photogarapher.

Rating:
Summary: A "must" for all William Eggleston fans!
Review: William Eggleston 2 1/4 presents full-page color photos of signs and contemporary urban images. His captures the stark realities of life and modern society and presents a fine hosting of modern photo forms.