Getty Museum
Possibly Memphis
Creator
William EgglestonAmerican Photographer · 1939–present
All works by this person →William Eggleston assumes a neutral gaze and creates his art from commonplace subjects: a farmer's muddy Ford truck, a red ceiling in a friend's house, the contents of his own refrigerator. In his work, Eggleston photographs "democratically"--literally photographing the world around him. His large-format prints monumentalize everyday subjects, everything is equally important; every detail deserves
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- about 1965–1970
- Medium
- Gelatin silver print
- Culture
- American
- Department
- Photographs
- Institution
- Getty Museum
A dark figure stooping over to sweep a long concourse is silhouetted by the glow of fluorescent light and window illumination. Prominent lines from ceiling tiles, window panels, and a railing appear to lock him into a seemingly endless corridor. Even the brilliant flood of light does not prevent a sense of alienation. The janitor seems segregated from the rest of the world. Despite his proximity, this solitary black man seems unaware of the photographer. There is a sense of melancholy to his posture--perhaps what William Eggleston noticed most. Despite his patrician upbringing, Eggleston experienced the deep South before integration. He must have been keenly aware of the turmoil surrounding the civil rights movement, including numerous strikes and demonstrations that took place in Memphis. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis the year this photograph was made. Implied here is Eggleston's awareness of racial difference and the plight of the black worker.
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