American Everyday Life: A Cinematic Saga by Gregory Crewdson
- By Theresa Moosmann
Peering into the Void: The Ordinary American Existence of Gregory Crewdson - A peek into the void: Everyday life as depicted by Gregory Crewdson
Embrace the beautiful, the melancholic, the light, and the dark: for over four decades, photographer Gregory Crewdson has been a master of dualities and in-between spaces. Working as an artist since the early 80s, he's known for staging scenes reminiscent of film sets, with a recurring backdrop of American small-town life.
Last year, a monograph of his work, curated by Walter Moser, was published. The book coincided with an exhibition of Crewdson's retrospective at the Albertina Museum in Vienna, leaving viewers awe-struck with profound and captivating scenes that unveil the hidden mysteries of everyday life.
No smartphones or modern cars in sight
In an interview with the Albertina Museum, Crewdson, the son of a psychoanalyst, shares, "The psychology of my images has something to do with my own psychology." feelings of longing, calm, distance, and sadness are common themes in his work.
"I delve into everyday life, searching for something significant, beautiful and important," says the 62-year-old American. Yet, he avoids modern elements like smartphones or contemporary cars, ensuring his images retain a timeless appeal that will resonate in the future.
A lifelong quest for life's meaning
The monograph encompasses Crewdson's nine bodies of work from the past 30 years, including his most famous series, Twilight (1998-2002), and Beneath the Roses (2003-2008), as well as his latest series, Eveningside (2021-2022). Each series requires months of planning involving up to a hundred collaborators, including actors and technical specialists.
Crewdson believes that representing the world is an endless pursuit. "Every image can only hint. Thus, one must keep creating more images, constantly searching for the ultimate meaning, even if it remains beyond human reach," he shares with the Albertina Museum.
GREGORY CREWDSON, edited by Walter Moser
280 pages, Hardcover, published by Penguin
49 Euro
More images from this gallery
- Photo Gallery
- Life's Work
- Artist
- Vienna
Insights:
- Cinematic Techniques: Crewdson's photographs are inspired by film directors like David Lynch and Yasujiro Ozu, employing cinematic techniques to create a sense of narrative and emotional depth.
- Lighting and Composition: Dramatic lighting and composition are crucial to Crewdson's work, creating moody and atmospheric scenes that evoke the desolation and mystery inherent in suburban life.
- Post-Production Editing: Crewdson's photographs undergo extensive editing to enhance their emotional impact and cinematic quality, contributing to their timeless feel.
- Everyday Life Mysteries: By focusing on suburban life, Crewdson reveals the complexities and mysteries beneath its surface, inviting viewers to reflect on the human condition.
- Influence of Artistic Influences: Crewdson's work is influenced by artists like Diane Arbus, adding a layer of depth and complexity to his exploration of everyday life.
- Timeless Works: Crewdson's series explore themes of domestic life and the American landscape, creating a sense of continuity and timelessness in his body of work. His photographs evoke a lasting emotional impact, thanks in part to their ability to evoke universal themes and a sense of mystery.
- Gregory Crewdson's employment policy involves a great deal of planning for his photographic projects, as he often works with up to a hundred collaborators, including actors and technical specialists.
- The monograph of Gregory Crewdson's work, curated by Walter Moser, contains elements reminiscent of the filmmaking techniques of directors such as David Lynch and Yasujiro Ozu.
- The profound and captivating scenes in the monograph, which were presented in an exhibition at the Albertina Museum in Vienna, showcase Crewdson's keen interest in the hidden mysteries of everyday life, a topic he delves into throughout his photography career.
- To retain a timeless appeal and avoid a focus on modern elements such as smartphones or contemporary cars, Crewdson chooses to set his photographic scenes in an outdoor-living, home-and-garden environment that evokes American everyday life, as depicted in his community policy and lifestyle choices.
