William Eggleston does not know Paris

Today I went to the Cartier Gallery of Contemporary Art. Beatriz Milhazes had her work on display upstairs, and William Eggleston had his work downstairs. The work from Beatriz Milhazes was spectacular. The paintings were enormous, touching the ground and nearly reaching the tall ceilings, when up close the viewer was engulfed in an array of colors. Her pallet offers great compliments of varying colors. 

Beatriz Milhazes, Sinfonia Nordestina, 2008, Acrylic on Canvas

William Eggleston is a photographer who I have long since admired. He has managed to turn such simple subjects into iconic images. He is an American photographer who has truly captured the "All American Charm" of the USA, but his work abroad seems to lack these qualities he is known for. He was approached by Hervé Chandès (Director, Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art) to make a series of photographs documenting Paris. Eggleston's work is best viewed as a body of work rather than appreciating each image individually. He has been said to take his photographs "spontaneously", in a decisive moment manner.

After spending only two weeks in Paris, I certainly can not attest to knowing this city. I could live here for months, or even years, and still not know all that Paris has to offer. With that being said, the photos on display were lackluster. Each image was no larger than 8"x10", and the resolution of the photos seemed poor. Although there were a few images that I enjoyed it did not compensate for the rest that were simply dull. I am not sure if this is a finished body of work, as the literature alluded to the fact that he may still be working on this.

William Eggleston, Untitled, Paris Series, 2006-2008