Randy Ross has a meticulous eye. Side by side, at least one of these William Eggleston reproductions is obviously not what the artist intended. But, to notice one and dig out the other for comparison reveals a deeper level of visual awareness. The one on the left is from William Eggleston's Guide published by MoMA in 1976 and accompanied his exhibition there, the first fine art photography exhibition in color taken on by the institution. So, as Randy notes, they were very sensitive to reproduction quality as they challenged the establishment's opinion of photography and definition of art. The one on the right is from The Hasselblad Award catalog from 1998, a prestigious award to be sure. So, why so blue? In Randy's opinion the quality of art and photography reproductions in print has been sliding down hill for quite some time. He says that, "4-color separation has become such an automated process with scanner operators only concerned with color levels and dot gains for their specific presses that the art of color correcting and proofing seems to have fallen by the wayside." With exceptions of course, and for flawless reproduction he cites House Hunting by Todd Hido, published by Nazraeli Press.
The color difference in these two images is so extreme, that at a quick glance they don't even seem to originate from the same photograph. The cyan is so wrongly manipulated in the image on the right that the figure becomes lost in the ground. Whereas the integrity of the color of the older reproduction on the left is what holds the figure/ground relationship in balance and presents a stronger illusion of depth.
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