William Eggleston, Untitled (man in green room), circa 1970–1974.
Estimate: $2,000–3,000. Color Vision: Master Prints From Guy Stricherz and Irene Malli.
Following the white-glove auction of masterworks by William Eggleston this March, Phillips is proud to once again present Color Vision: Master Prints from Guy Stricherz and Irene Malli, an unprecedented offering of fine dye transfer prints by William Eggleston and other distinguished photographers.
This online auction continues our showcase of the extraordinary craftsmanship of Mr. Stricherz and Ms. Malli, masters of the dye transfer printing process and founders of the legendary Color Vision Imaging Laboratory (CVI Lab). The works in this auction, and in future sales throughout 2025, are all the perfected master prints by which subsequent prints in a respective edition were judged.
Here, we zoom in on a few works with attractive estimates and equally enticing histories, both for their artists’ vision in propelling color photography forward, and for their printers’ craft.
William Eggleston
William Eggleston, Untitled (man smoking), circa 1970–1974.
Estimate: $3,000–5,000. Color Vision: Master Prints From Guy Stricherz and Irene Malli.
In William Eggleston’s photographs, everyday sights become extraordinary, guiding viewers to the beauty and lush diversity in the quotidian. Eggleston’s transformative vision found its ideal print format in the dye transfer process, and his ultimate conception came to life through his collaboration with printers Guy Stricherz and Irene Malli of Color Vision Imaging Laboratory. The 33 lots by Eggleston on offer in this sale are a testament to the technical precision and collaborative enthusiasm of Stricherz and Malli, made through extensive proofing, conversation, and partnership between printer and artist. From the rich, reflective green tones in Untitled (man in green room) to other classic Eggleston imagery of interiors, signs, landscapes, and more, collectors can discover an extraordinary range of the artist’s practice through these definitive prints.
“They’re the only printers I know of in the world that are as good as they are. And I have tried every one I can find.”
—William Eggleston on Guy Stricherz and Irene Malli
Ernst Haas
Ernst Haas, Western Skies Motel, Colorado, 1978.
Estimate: $2,000–3,000. Color Vision: Master Prints From Guy Stricherz and Irene Malli.
Like Eggleston, Ernst Haas was a crucial innovator of color photography. His 1962 MoMA exhibition, Ernst Haas: Color Photography, was the institution’s first solo exhibition of color photography. In addition to his iconic Albuquerque, New Mexico on offer in the sale, Western Skies Motel is another prime example of his innovative approach, and particularly his use of reflection. The rear-view mirror creates a nested image within the composition, allowing us to see both what is before the artist and behind him. The sky seems to float within the frame of the mirror, its edges fuzzy from the wide-angle lens, while the rest of the scene remains sharp.
“...I want to come to the moment when, through pure concentration of seeing, the composed picture becomes more made than taken. Without a descriptive caption to justify its existence, it will speak for itself — less descriptive, more creative; less informative, more suggestive — less prose, more poetry.” —Ernst Haas
Guy Bourdin
Guy Bourdin, Charles Jourdan, Spring, 1979.
Estimate: $3,000–5000. Color Vision: Master Prints From Guy Stricherz and Irene Malli.
A protégé of Man Ray, Guy Bourdin brought a Surrealist ethos to his work as one of the most imaginative fashion photographers to arise in postwar Europe. His legendary images for the French shoe brand Charles Jourdan showcase his unique sense of the uncanny, employing a dream-like approach to both subject and composition. In Charles Jourdan, Spring, we encounter the angled form of an obscured female figure. The lighting’s soft glow foregrounds the shoes. A hazy, vaporous atmosphere envelops the image, as if the figure’s body heat is melting the block of ice. Bordin’s unique approach to color, framing, and form was particularly well realized by Stricherz and Malli’s skill with dye transfer, which we also see in the remarkable hues of Pentax Calendar (variant), Asahi Optical Company Limited, Tokyo. This work also showcases another of the artist’s hallmarks: disembodied mannequin limbs that underscore the inherent strangeness of the display models.
Guy Bourdin, Pentax Calendar (variant), Asahi Optical Company Limited, Tokyo, Japan, circa 1980.
Estimate: $3,000–5000. Color Vision: Master Prints From Guy Stricherz and Irene Malli.
Evelyn Hofer
Evelyn Hofer, Coney Island, N.Y., 1965.
Estimate: $3,000–5,000. Color Vision: Master Prints From Guy Stricherz and Irene Malli.
The typically hectic bustle of Coney Island gives way to a more considered and introspective viewing in Evelyn Hofer’s Coney Island, N.Y. This captivating work underscores her profound sensitivity to her subjects and their environment as it imbues an ordinary public space with a sense of quiet observation. Hofer’s slow and meticulous approach to composition, achieved with a tripod and large-format camera, is evident here, reducing the scene to pure form and vibrant, nuanced color. As one of the first fine art photographers to consistently utilize color, she collaborated closely with master printers Guy Stricherz and Irene Malli, who produced several remarkable prints for her.
Zoe Leonard
Zoe Leonard, Red Wall, 2001.
Estimate: $2,000–3,000. Color Vision: Master Prints From Guy Stricherz and Irene Malli.
There’s a palpable intensity in the way Zoe Leonard looks at urban environments. Her photographs of the built environment show us not only the intriguing and overlooked forms she finds within them but also suggest how the passage of time and human use impact their appearance. When viewing these two works, we discover compelling ideas. In one, we encounter a wall, a physical boundary that rigidly separates public and private spaces. In the other, a door which serves as a portal between them. Adding to the conceptual complexity, Red Wall is clearly an image of what was once a window, and in each, the layers of paint added over the years become a textural delight, with the painted surfaces speaking so articulately through Stricherz and Malli’s mastery of the dye transfer process.
Zoe Leonard, Green Door, 2002.
Estimate: $2,000–3,000. Color Vision: Master Prints From Guy Stricherz and Irene Malli.
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