5 x 7 is a revelatory monograph by William Eggleston, documenting a specific period in the early 1970s when the artist experimented with a large-format 5×7-inch view camera. This technical choice resulted in images of extraordinary detail and shallow depth of field, heightening the “democratic” intensity of his subjects. The book is most notable for its dual nature: it pairs Eggleston’s signature saturated color landscapes of the American South with a rare, stark series of black-and-white portraits taken inside Memphis nightclubs. These nocturnal portraits offer a gritty, candid counterpoint to the quiet, sun-drenched suburban scenes he is most famous for. Curated and with an essay by Michael Almereyda, the 57 color plates and accompanying monochrome images reveal an artist pushing the boundaries of the photographic medium during a pivotal era of his career.
