William Eggleston "stupid question"

[Renato Tonelli]

While watching the BBC series "The Genius of Photography", I came across a scene of question and answer between William Eggleston and journalists. Visibly irritated, his response to a question (not heard in the documentary) was: "I regret that that's one of the stupidest questions I've ever been asked!"

Does anyone know what the question was? It had to have been a 'doozey' of a question to get such a response.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Yeah, I remember the passage. Eggleston is absolutely of the school of "if it's not made with words it can't be spoken of" (cf. the first incarnation of Wittgenstein for a kindred mind). In one of the documentaries about him (In the Real World, I think), you see him on the same stage as Stephen Shore. The latter is so articulate, fluent in art-history speak, post-Warhol discourse about the arts and all that, while Eggleston barely mumbles half-formed words about pressing the shutter.

Still, in the final analysis I like Eggleston better because you can't default him for putting concept/intention above the pictures!

 

[ajmiller]

There was no question shown in the film - they used a series of such responses from Eggleston to illustrate how his work is difficult for him, and others, to put into words.

Tony

 

[Tom Kershaw]

I saw most of the series when it came out and should revisit it with my DVD copy. However, in some ways I think the 'masters of photography' BBC series from 1983, available to view on Youtube is the more substantial, with the interviewer asking gently probling questions and allowing the photographer time to respond. From my memory, I felt the more recent BBC series was particularly amiss in not covering Edward Weston and the related approaches in photography.

Tom

 

[Renato Tonelli]

I felt the more recent BBC series was particularly amiss in not covering Edward Weston and the related approaches in photography.

Tom

I wa also very surprised that Weston didn't get any worthy mention.

 

[AshleyMichelle]

Replying to see if OP ever figured out the answer! I'm just now watching that same documentary and am intrigued.

 

[DDTJRAC]

They prob asked him how he become so famous by taking such boring photos.

 

[CropDusterMan]

Bill Eggleston has never suffered fools lightly.

 

[jtk]

Edward Weston, man and photos, were probably too erotic for BBC.

 

[removed account4]

While watching the BBC series "The Genius of Photography", I came across a scene of question and answer between William Eggleston and journalists. Visibly irritated, his response to a question (not heard in the documentary) was: "I regret that that's one of the stupidest questions I've ever been asked!"

Does anyone know what the question was? It had to have been a 'doozey' of a question to get such a response.

i think it had to do with his recipe for a mint julep
he asked if he used kentucky bourbon or another type of spirit ...

 

[Patrick Robert James]

He was probably irritable because he hadn't had his daily bottle of hooch yet... And I am not kidding!

My guess is the journalist asked him if he was a genius.

Some say that if you look up the word Hubris in the dictionary there is a picture of Eggleston.

 

[DDTJRAC]

Originally I was going to say "How did you get so famous by taking shitty photos." But my New Years res is to try and calm down a little.

Look who promoted him...another lousy photog who was also a curator. He took some of the most boring photos imaginable. So of course he thinks Egg is great. I blame it on the curators, who are not world class photogs themselves.

 

[removed account4]

Originally I was going to say "How did you get so famous by taking shitty photos." But my New Years res is to try and calm down a little.

Look who promoted him...another lousy photog who was also a curator. He took some of the most boring photos imaginable. So of course he thinks Egg is great. I blame it on the curators, who are not world class photogs themselves.

curators curate .. they edit and collect whatever their missions say ..
gallerists collect and sell whatever their clients want to buy
no one has to be a world class photographer to enjoy/curate/collect/sell &c photography
or sell ... anything. its like saying
a someone curating, collecting selling washer machines or cars or houses has to
be a world class designer and building of washer machines cars and houses..

not sure what boring photographs have to do with anything 99% of photographs are boring, maybe more than 99%
unless they spark a connection with the viewer then they aren't ..
of course YMMVFTSITW

 

[pentaxuser]

It's funny how time can distort what you think you heard but I thought there was a question asked that you could hear. My recollection was that it was a fairly inane and innocuous one that was typical of what journalists ask such people. I had thought that Mr Eggleston had initially made it clear in a relatively polite manner what he thought of the question but the journalist persisted without picking up Mr Eggleston's irritation and thus got "both barrels"

I cannot now for the life of me recall what the question was and as I said, it might be my recollection that is wrong

pentaxuser

 

[Renato Tonelli]

Still don't know the question that irritated him so. I am guessing that someone related his work to either social class or politics.

 

[warden]

I can't answer the question about the question, but Eggleston's mannerisms and speech patterns are unlike anyone else and I so enjoy listening to him. His photography deserves the praise it gets, too. In case you've missed it, Youtube has Eggleston: In the Real World, which is worth a look.

 

[pentaxuser]

Still don't know the question that irritated him so. I am guessing that someone related his work to either social class or politics.

You may be right or he may have interpreted the question as relating to his social class or politics but my hazy recollection is that it was more innocuous than that.

pentaxuser

 

[MattKing]

But my New Years res is to try and calm down a little.

Which year?

 

[tezzasmall]

not sure what boring photographs have to do with anything 99% of photographs are boring, maybe more than 99%
unless they spark a connection with the viewer then they aren't ..
of course YMMVFTSITW

YMMVFTSITW???

= Longest I've ever seen and google is no help!?

Terry S

 

[GRHazelton]

i think it had to do with his recipe for a mint julep
he asked if he used kentucky bourbon or another type of spirit ...

I personally feel that mint juleps MUST be made from bourbon. Bourbon, however, may be made in locales other than Kentucky. I now await the deluge....

BTW, The Guardian has a good article on Eggleston. See this: https://www.theguardian.com/artandd...-interview-i-play-the-piano-musik-photography

 

[removed account4]

YMMVFTSITW???

= Longest I've ever seen and google is no help!?

Terry S

uh huh
YMMVFTSITWAICNHYIFYCNFOWITAM

 

[tezzasmall]

uh huh
YMMVFTSITWAICNHYIFYCNFOWITAM

Ok, thanks for that. Now I totally understand as the search engines found that one... BUTNOTREALLYATALL...

Terry S

 

[Ko.Fe.]

It took seven years .... Looks like some already have their bottle of booze before New Year party.

It is wrong to judge artist by his private life as it is " who IS stupid?" to call pictures boring if you are not capable to understand.

I didn't knew about this photog until this year. I watched documentary about him and with him and it gave me great lesson in photography. He gives clear answer for those who comes with threads named "here is nothing to photograph where I'm".

 

[Arthurwg]

Some say that if you look up the word Hubris in the dictionary there is a picture of Eggleston.

These days if you Google the word "idiot" you'll see a picture of Trump.

 

[warden]

These days if you Google the word "idiot" you'll see a picture of Trump.

Is this a thread about politics now? Why?