The Artistry of Gregory Crewdson: A Timeless Exploration of American Everyday Life's cryptic charm
- by Theresa Moosmann
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Peering into the Void: American Everyday as Portrayed by Gregory Crewdson - Peering into the void: Everyday America, as depicted by Gregory Crewdson
American photographer Gregory Crewdson revels in contrasts and liminality. For over four decades, he's been championing his craft as an artist, presenting images that evoke the ambiance of film sets, primarily embedded in an American small-town setting.
Last year, a monograph of his works, edited by Walter Moser, was unveiled. Moser is the chief curator at the Albertina Museum in Vienna, where Crewdson's retrospective was also showcased last year, featuring profound and breathtaking scenes that unveil the enigmas of everyday life, ensnaring the spectator.
Smartphones and gleaming cars remain absent from his shots
Gregory Crewdson, the son of a psychoanalyst, notes in an interview with the Albertina Museum, "I challengingly suspect the psychology of my images delves into my own psychology." Longing, tranquility, melancholy, distance – these sentiments are regularly expressed in his photographs.
"I peer into the mundane existence and endeavor to discover something that resonates as critical, gorgeous, and noteworthy," explains the 62-year-old American. However, he purposefully abstains from contemporary accoutrements such as smartphones or vibrant cars. His images strive to be unyielding to the vicissitudes of time, thus retaining their relevance in the future.
Seeking life's eternal secrets
The monograph encompasses Crewdson's nine bodies of work created over the last three decades, including his most recognized series, Twilight (1998-2002), and Beneath the Roses (2003-2008). His latest series, Eveningside (2021-2022), is also presented. Each series is intricately planned, involving up to a hundred other individuals, including actors and technical professionals.
Crewdson asserts that one can never exhaustively capture the world. "Every image can only imply; therefore, one must continue creation in perpetuity," he states, speaking to the Albertina Museum. "One must remain constantly on the hunt for the ultimate meaning – even if it forever eludes our human grasp."
GREGORY CREWDSON, edited by Walter Moser
280 pages, hardcover, published by Penguin
49 Euro
More images from this gallery
- Photo Gallery
- Lifework
- Artist
- Vienna
- In an interview at the Albertina Museum, Gregory Crewdson, who is the son of a psychoanalyst, suggests that the psychology of his images delves into his own psychology, expressing common sentiments like longing, tranquility, melancholy, and distance.
- In his photographs, Crewdson intentionally avoids contemporary accoutrements such as smartphones or vibrant cars, aiming to create images that are unyielding to the whims of time and maintain their significance in the future.
- The monograph that features his works, edited by Walter Moser, encompasses Crewdson's nine bodies of work created over the last three decades, including his most recognized series, Twilight (1998-2002), and Beneath the Roses (2003-2008).
- By capturing images that evoke the atmosphere of film sets primarily in an American small-town setting, Crewdson strives to unveil the enigmatic charm of everyday life, much like his most recent series, Eveningside (2021-2022).
