By Matthias Scherer

Victoria Miro Gallery, N1

—————————————————-

It’s probably safe to assume that William Eggleston isn’t very interested in people as photographic subjects. There are a total of two visible human beings depicted in his new exhibition of photographs taken over the last decade, and only in one case can we see their face. Eggleston is keener on showing man-made environments, artefacts, artificially created surroundings, than zooming in on our limbs and faces. One reason might be that it is more challenging and good-old fashioned fun to look out for the curious visual compositions created by the interaction of objects – a few abandoned light-blue cushions, leaning against a purple wall marked by graffiti, for example.

In any case, Eggleston, who, back in the sixties, was one of the first snappers who used colour photography in an artistic context, is a master in the art of fitting intriguing, multi-faceted and always colourful scenes into his camera frame. One of these scenes is captured in a photo called “Untitled (Red Dumpster, Orange Building, Memphis)” – all his images are named “Untitled”, along with a list of the main objects in brackets, but there is always more to Eggleston’s pictures than the title suggests. In this case, it’s the way the sunlight infuses the main colours – the red of the dumpster and the orange of the surrounding walls – with a vibrancy that makes you almost feel the Southern heat and smell the stench fleeing from the gawping container.

The sunlight plays an important role in the pictures on display. There is a spartanic image of what looks like a public toilet in Cuba, with its greying, unremarkable walls and tiles. Yet, to the right of the frame, the pink and yellow curtains are being shaken by the wind and sunlight coming through the window, thus softening the blow of a somewhat dingy and sparse first impression. Elsewhere, the sun dips a derelict wooden windowsill, rusty nails and frayed edges included, into a lovely, soothing light – the silver spoon reflecting this light is the cherry on top.

Eggleston very lovingly and carefully explores the day-to-day, seemingly mundane scenery in which we move – roads, the rooms in our house, motels and shops – and takes pleasure in capturing details such as the bright packaging of “Piggly Wiggly” crackers, a weird collection of vintage lamps decorated with porcelain figurines or the way an American flag hangs lifelessly outside a New Jersey motel at night.

His infatuation with the sometimes careless, sometimes quirky way we arrange or deface our possessions and our surroundings leads to some images that look like they have been set up – such as the one showing an old, withered newspaper lying on the grass. There is a photograph within the photograph – the picture on the page lying face up – whose colour harmonises so effortlessly with the blooming leaves of the plant next to it that almost looks like it had been intentionally placed there.

Eggleston has become known for the “democratic” use of his camera – there is no object unworthy of his attention. As for human subjects: they may not be the focus of his pictures, but their essence is tangible in every one of them.

21^st Century is at the Victoria Miro Gallery (16 Wharf Road, off City Road) until 27^th February. Entry is free.