Customer Reviews

5x7

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This superbly printed and presented collection of photographs is of interest to Eggleston completists as a path not taken by the photographer, and as such is not really representative of his best work. That's not to say the photographs in this book aren't high quality; they are, and as a portraitist lugging his 5x7 camera around amongst a bunch of fairly "lit" denizens well after midnight, Mr Bill does a great job. For the general viewer unfamiliar with Eggleston's distinguished ouevre, this book is not the place to start, but can certainly be recommended as another Twin Palms Publishing triumph. I'm glad they and the photographer allowed these images to see the light of day. The book includes a small number of color images that contrast very nicely with the black and white portraits.

This book consists mainly of portraits by William Eggleston. The identities of the people are mostly not indicated and the locations are not identified although the text reports they were done in clubs in Memphis in 1973. Numerous photos are in black and white although Eggleston is noted as one of the ground-breakers in color photography. As a document, the photos are quite successful. We see a tiny slice of the 1970s style. The book is huge in format and the photos are lovingly reproduced. It is impressive on these accounts.

However, the book fails to satisfy when compared to either "2 1/4" or "Los Alamos". Whereas the previous volumns were evocative of both time and place, the current book's scope is too narrow. We are asked to look at pictures of total strangers but we are not given any visual clues as to why these subjects are important to our lives. The main thought I had when finished looking at the photos was one of puzzlement. Is he trying to distill an era, almost 35 years later, in these few photographs? If so, I can't see the purpose when I think of the portraiture of someone like Richard Avedon--a photographer whose work is pretty universally acknowledged as the ultimate in describing an era in "mug shots". Still, Eggleston remains Eggleston. He is one of my favorite artists and I can find only this one fault with this work. It's not the book to buy if you want an introduction to his photography. If you are an Eggleston fan, however, you will not want to let it pass you by and go out of print.

Contemporary art photography seems to be mired in such an identity crisis at present that it is both a relief and a joy to live in William Eggleston's world of lush barroom vinyl with characters so breathtakingly present. His 5 x 7 portraits are both spontaneous and profound....as if he has brushed against strangers and in a 60th of a second got a look inside. Also, he has made one of the best photographs of a stuffed fish that I have ever seen.

William Eggleston is a photographer who has turned his medium into art, and his large format 5x7 camera into an artists tool. "5x7" is a compilation of photographs (fifty-seven plates) taken by Eggleston during the early 1970s and includes images of streetscapes, parked automobiles, portraits of the strange and disenfranchised. Of particular note are the photographs taken in the nightclubs of that time that Eggleston was want to frequent. Enhanced with an informed and informative essay by Michael Alereyda, "5x7" is a superbly organized and presented monograph that is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, and academic library 20th Century American Photography reference collections.

A great book of portraits that reads like a museum show- very beautifully done. Large, exquisite reproductions, zero text until the end with an essay and interview with Michael Almereyda.

If you own Eggleston books, this one is not be missed in your collection. What's great about this book is seeing Eggleston do something that you've maybe not seen him do before - informal and formal portraits. Sprinkled in the B&W pictures are some color to remind you you are looking at Eggleston.

Whether it's in color or black & white Eggleston is always a joy to look at. This book contains early work in both forms and does not disappoint. This is a well-produced book and not to be missed by Eggleston collectors.

as a Eggleston fan I was thrilled to have this book. A rare collection of portraits by Eggleston is an odd escape fron his usual inanimate subject matter. These portraits really bring me back in time without feeling contrived. A snapshot essence to the photographs lends to the images simplicity. This is a great book for the portrait lover. I've never seen such a collection of ugly people look so good.