Gregory Crewdson
Gregory Crewdson
1
• Background: Crewdson grew up in New York (and was in a punk band whose hit was called ‘Let Me Take Your Photo’)
• he now lives in a Methodist church in Massachuetts.
• Inspiration: Crewdson’s photographs draw on Gothic Romantic and he as an artist’s focuses on dramatic surrealities.
• Known for overtly cinematic photographs that use tricks of light to convey their mystery.
• Photographs: often of suburban scenes that exude the kind of eerie terror of Hitchcock films.
• his photography advocates unanswered questions that the viewer can than answer them
• Crewdson trys to create transparency, a “perfect representation” and a “perfect world.” (he does not want grain, pixels,
• His photos shift focus in the series of away from the strangeness of ordinary life into the heightened surrealities of dream and fantasy
Example o Figurative interior o Subject matter: A figure sitting on the bed, surrounded by roses and twigs, there is a further trail of twigs scattered on the ground leading from the living room to the womens bed, there are two doorways, one gives you a glimse of the bathroom, the other leads to a living room. o Large depth of feel because we are able to see into the background o Creates atmosphere using all this light o The colour palet is balanced by the lighting (subdued warm brown) o (contrast between interior, nightie and roses, making the figure stand out) o Taken at eyelevel and it is wide angled. o Domestic o Showing a narrative because it is so complicated and detailed. Creates a moment in time o Voyeur – looking from outside in o Draws on fears and anxieties. o Ugliness has been made beautiful
1
• Background: Crewdson grew up in New York (and was in a punk band whose hit was called ‘Let Me Take Your Photo’)
• he now lives in a Methodist church in Massachuetts.
• Inspiration: Crewdson’s photographs draw on Gothic Romantic and he as an artist’s focuses on dramatic surrealities.
• Known for overtly cinematic photographs that use tricks of light to convey their mystery.
• Photographs: often of suburban scenes that exude the kind of eerie terror of Hitchcock films.
• his photography advocates unanswered questions that the viewer can than answer them
• Crewdson trys to create transparency, a “perfect representation” and a “perfect world.” (he does not want grain, pixels,
• His photos shift focus in the series of away from the strangeness of ordinary life into the heightened surrealities of dream and fantasy
Example o Figurative interior o Subject matter: A figure sitting on the bed, surrounded by roses and twigs, there is a further trail of twigs scattered on the ground leading from the living room to the womens bed, there are two doorways, one gives you a glimse of the bathroom, the other leads to a living room. o Large depth of feel because we are able to see into the background o Creates atmosphere using all this light o The colour palet is balanced by the lighting (subdued warm brown) o (contrast between interior, nightie and roses, making the figure stand out) o Taken at eyelevel and it is wide angled. o Domestic o Showing a narrative because it is so complicated and detailed. Creates a moment in time o Voyeur – looking from outside in o Draws on fears and anxieties. o Ugliness has been made beautiful