Two exhibitions
dal 18/2/2009 al 16/5/2009
Segnalato da
18/2/2009
Two exhibitions
Haus der Kunst, Munich
William Eggleston is considered one of the most idiosyncratic photographer's of the 20th century. This retrospective follows his artistic development from the early black-and-white images and pioneering transition to colour photography, all the way to the present day. The stories by Apichatpong Weerasethakul are based on myths and memories. For his new project Primitive, he travelled to the northeast of Thailand - an area where inhabitants' lives are dominated by animist beliefs and where the belief of souls migrating between people, plants, animals and ghosts still exists.
william eggleston. democratic camera
photography & video 1961–2008
‘i had this notion of what i called a democratic way of looking around: that nothing was more important or less important.’
william eggleston
the american artist william eggleston (*1939, memphis, usa) is considered to be one of the most idiosyncratic photographer’s of the 20th century. this comprehensive retrospective follows his artistic development from the early black-and-white images and pioneering transition to colour photography, all the way to the present day.
william eggleston’s early pictures were black-and-white – rough, sketch-like photographs, which appeared as if the artist had captured the image only crudely and consciously, included all the unforeseeable and randomness of the situation. everything that happens in front of the camera is worthy of becoming a picture for eggleston – no matter how seemingly circumstantial or trivial. eggleston finds his motifs in the everyday life: supermarkets, bars or petrol stations, a polished car or a filled freezer compartment – the photographer points his ‘democratic camera’ at everything; nothing is ‘more or less important’. in the mid-1960s, eggleston began to consistently take photos in colour and thereby heralded, virtually single-handedly, he era of colour photography in art.
he became famous with his solo show at the museum of modern art, new york, in 1976. his snapshot aesthetic and subjective application of colour, however, was considered so odd by the audience that the exhibition was deemed ‘most hated show of the year’. in the following years, eggleston evolved to being a pioneer of colour photography and influenced a younger generation of photographers with his pictures. amongst film directors he also enjoys cult status until today. several of his images became icons for contemporary photography, for example, ‘greenwood, mississippi’ (1973), a light bulb hanging from the ceiling of a room painted blood-red, which, like many of eggleston’s pictures was photographed from an unusual angle. by treating the image retroactively and the intense colouring achieved in doing so, affects the photograph an intensely suggestive way, thereby eluding any clear-cut interpretations that, much as several of eggleston’s pictures, allow for a multitude of associations. in addition to the circa 180 photographs by the artist, the exhibition includes ‘stranded in canton’, a sub-culture’s video portrait that developed from fragments taken between 1973 to 1974 and that was reassembled into a narrative structure by the filmmaker robert gordon.
the exhibition was organised by whitney museum of american art, new york in cooperation with haus der kunst munich
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apichatpong weerasethakul
primitive
the stories by the award-winning thai filmmaker apichatpong weerasethakul (*1970) are based on myths and memories. for his new project ‘primitive’, the artist travelled to the northeast of thailand – an area where inhabitants’ lives are dominated by animist beliefs and where the belief of souls migrating between people, plants, animals and ghosts still exists. ‘primitive’ is a multi-part project dealing with reincarnation and transformation. one of the villages near the border to laos is the focus: with its suppressed and forgotten history nabua reappears symbolically. much like earlier films by the artist, ‘primitive’ shifts between documentation and fiction, and is characterised by quiet settings and great simplicity: the camera moves slowly across a landscape flooded by the phenomenon of a ghostly light, it approaches hills where lights dance, the terrain is gently adjusted and a tree bursts into flames by itself. ‘primitive’ combines the mediums of film and installation: visitors explore the work in their own way and according to their personal timing.
‘primitive’ was commissioned by haus der kunst, munich fact, liverpool animate projects, london
produced by illuminations films, london - kick the machine films, bangkok
Image: William Eggleston
Press contact
Elena Heitsch tel + 49 89 21127 - 115 fax: + 49 89 21127 - 157 mail: presse@hausderkunst.de
Press viewing hour Thursday, February 19, 2009, 11 am
Haus der Kunst
Prinzregentenstrasse 1 - Munich
Opening hours
mon–sun 10–20 h
thur 10–22 h