Exit
towns across the country, but also
trapped them in, running circles
around gargantuan parking lots
with no particular place to go.
In “Untitled (1971-74),” we see a
red-and-white cop car with a bulbous red siren, wending its way
down the available concrete path
next to a fallow field lined with bits
of patchy green grass. The perspective is unnervingly off. We float
above the scene, but only just a bit,
as if we were catching a ride on
the back end of the trunk. This offkilter view adds to the confusion of
the unnamed scene, where we are
gawkers inching up to a possible car
crash. But there’s such beauty in
the image it’s hard to come to terms
with anything bad happening within or beyond the frame.
In another untitled work, we see
a vibrant red sign advertising diesel alongside a hand painted sign
simply stating “MINNOWS,” in all
caps, with the “S” placed above
the “W” as an afterthought. Perhaps the owners of the fish forgot
they were selling more than one?
The humor in the work is evident,
and Eggleston gladly lets us in on
the joke. But beyond the scene is
Highway 61, a landmark stretch
of concrete spanning 1,400 miles,
ART
HUFFINGTON
09.30.12
reminding us to keep moving.
From these photos, we begin to
realize the vast expanse of America — it is huge, largely vacant
and overwhelming. We drive to
our destinations, protected in our
cars, under a looming sky.
These skies are breathtaking
examples of the power of nature,
You can always tell a
William Eggleston photograph.
It’s the one in color that hits
you in the face and leaves you
confused and happy.”
acting as a reminder that we are
all carving a place for ourselves on
a round blue ball. Wisps of cumulus clouds inhabit giant portions
of the frame, making a stunning
backdrop for an otherwise mundane scene — which is why cerulean should hereafter be known as
“Eggleston blue.” Because of this
perspective, Peter Schjeldahl’s
statement in a 2008 New Yorker
review rings true: “You can always
tell a William Eggleston photograph. It’s the one in color that hits
you in the face and leaves
you confused and happy.”