Road Trip (with William Eggleston & Roger Minick)

William Eggleston, From Chromes, 1969-1974

This summer, Roger Minick's Sightseer Series is especially apt in my quest to be a professional tourist. However, I have always loved the Eggleston photograph because it is one of the best depictions of driving into the sun. My indecisiveness brings them together, proving there were great photographs of "vacation" before Martin Parr.

Roger Minick, Man with Hawaiian Shirt at Sunrise Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, UT, 1980

Roger Minick, Niagara Falls, Canada, 1999

Roger Minick, Man with Tattoos at Cadillac Ranch, TX, 1998

Roger Minick, Couple Viewing Cadillac Ranch, Texas, 1998

Roger Minick, Man at the Alamo, Texas, 1999

From Roger Minick's Field Notes:

"When I approached people for a portrait, I tried to make my request clear and to the point, making it clear that I was not trying to sell them anything.  I explained that my wife and I were traveling around the country visiting most of the major tourist destinations so that I could photograph the activity of sightseeing.  I would quickly add that I hoped the project would have cultural value and might be seen in years to come as a kind of time capsule of what Americans looked like at the end of the Twentieth Century; at which, to my surprise, I would see people often begin to nod their heads as if they knew what I was talking about."

4th of July

I've been waiting to post this image for 11 months!

Winston Eggelston, Oxford, Mississippi

Then I found a few more photographs a couple months later:

Roger Minick, 4th of July, Vallejo, California, 1988

Mike Sinclair, 4th of July #2, Independence, Missouri

Greta Pratt, From Using History

Happy 4th of July - my favorite month in the Northern hemisphere.

Three of My New Favorite Eggleston Photographs from "Chromes"

William Eggleston, From Chromes, 1969-1974

They all feature cars. They all look like they could have been made in the summertime. They are all nostalgic to some degree. My love for William Eggleston's color photographs will never die (I haven't come around to the black-and-white ones yet).

An Eggleston Photograph for 25th December

William Eggleston, Memphis, Tennessee

Baked Goods with a Concentration on Doughnuts

Donut Queen, Link courtesy of Amelia


Martin Parr, From Mexico, 2006


Martin Parr, From Mexico, 2006


Martha Rich, Chocolate Electric


William Eggleston, From Before Color, 1965-73


Sandy Skoglund, Cookies on a Plate, 1978


Daniel Stier


David Politzer, Baked Goods Docent, Canfield


Rebecca Sittler, Donuts of Long Beach

Artist Stalking

I'll get to the rest of the Chicago posts tomorrow (the photos have been trapped on my camera - not the iPhone - and have been difficult to get to), but while I'm thinking about it... the four images I've accumulated of artist's houses. I'm formulating an artist statement as this is a series that I will continue for years to come. I would like to include some females yet stick to houses, not apartment complexes or condos. This is also a rough print - I don't know if I will continue to use this scale or format or use of text. The Turrell piece will be substituted with my next place that may possibly take place next weekend.... Robert Adams.

I recently discovered John Gossage's The 32" Ruler and his images of his new neighbor's home... Donald Rumsfeld (both images below are Gossage's).



Glad I am not alone in this endeavor.



The quadrant at the top of the post is part of this exhibition. Illicit activity = yes!

"The House that Color Built"

I owe the title of this entry to Alexis as that was her response after sending her this photograph of William Eggleston's house on the corner of Waring and Walnut Grove in Memphis, Tennessee. Fortunately, Greely Myatt was up to my artist stalking antics and not only knew where Eggleston lived, but had once been in his house. Greely drove right on through the driveway within feet of Eggleston's front door. There was a light on in the foyer but it was deduced that if anyone was home it was his son Winston as Eggleston is spending most of this year in Paris. It was just as I had imagined it would like - a little rundown and oh so Southern. The architecture is unusual for the area and it was a little smaller than one might think for being the father of color photography's abode.



Here is the Lamplighter Lounge where Eggelston famously threw a hamburger at the bartender Shirley Williams. New York Magazine, November 2, 2008:

"Eggleston has a precarious relationship with the Lamp, one of his favorite haunts. In fact, he's barred from entering. "I got really drunk one time," he admits, "and I threw a hamburger at Shirley, who had just made it. But we're still friends." Shirley concurs. "He calls me up every now and then, asks how I'm doing, and I say, 'Good,'" she says, fond but firm. She is pleased to own an Eggleston photograph at home and proud of his success, but, like the Lamp's regulars, her feelings for her famous neighbor are complicated. "I like Bill, but he can't come in here. Will you be sure and tell him I said hello?"



My very brief Memphis tour also included The Art Guys' exhibition at The Wrong Again Gallery.



... and Greely's studio featuring Piece of Cake. Does this look familiar?

William Eggleston encore

The next two images are from Graceland:

A Small Sign of Spring and I'm Dreaming of Bicycles...

The warm weather is coming (though it may only be a glimpse). I keep dreaming of riding my bicycle as soon as the ice pack melts.


YMCA, Astoria, Oregon, c. 2007


August Sander, Westerwald, 1926-27


Bill Brandt, Coal Searcher Going Home to Jarrow, 1937


Henri Cartier-Bresson, Plazza della Signoria, 1933


William Eggleston, Memphis, 1980


Claes Oldenberg, Buried Bicycle, 1990


Romuald Hazoumè, La Roulotte, 2004


Olafur Eliasson, Your New Bicycle, Urania, 2010


Ai WeiWei, Forever, 2003

A Day in the Life of an Ice Storm (As Illustrated by William Eggleston)

It's pouring ice right now. Last night I determined that I was walking on frozen creme brûlée as I was contemplating how much I needed a new windshield scraper (the one I own is as old as some of the photographs below = no exaggeration = 30 minutes to de-ice the windows). In my preparation for expected power outages... I filled up my empty tank with gas. It is payday! No more conserving fuel.


Webb, Mississippi, c. 1969

I bought food and water stocking up the refrigerator with food that can easily be transferred to an ice chest and placed in the garage when the power goes out (I also made a loaf of bread, oatmeal raisin cookies, pasta, and defrosted some soup)


Memphis, Tennessee, c. 1970s

Because my smart wool socks were dirty, a load of laundry was in order. Some sweaters are still drying on top of the machine just like the image below.

From Los Alamos, 1969-1974

If the power does fail, I'll be wishing for one of these as this is an all-electric duplex:


From The Guide

... in addition I'll be dreaming of a hot shower. Maura suggests taking one every hour on the hour while we still have electricity.


Memphis, 1973

What I'll really be doing is thinking of spring which cannot get here soon enough.


Untitled (I can't remember where I found this) - It's white but it sure isn't snow! It also reminds me of Pink Trees by Alexis Pike.