The Photograph As Narrative - Meet Gregory Crewdson

When considering the art of photography there is a man who has done more than any other person on this planet to bring a little joy to my life. With this post I hope I can share some of that joy with other members of the Hive community.

Having completed a filmmaking degree many years ago, and even now still interested in filmmaking, I have come across many talented filmmakers. Sometimes though my journey has crossed paths with other areas of the arts, particularly photography artists. One such artist who completely changed my entire perspective on photography is the American photographer Gregory Crewdson. He is a pictorialist in every sense of the meaning.

Creating The Story In The Photo

It comes as no surprise to me really that I am drawn to Crewdson because his work is relentlessly rich in narrative. There is a whole new story in each photo he takes. I could so easily produce a short film from just one of his pictures, it would be the only inspiration I would need. Take a look at the following picture and you will see what I mean. What is going through this lady's mind? Has she made the wrong decision and wants to make sure she's doing the right thing before moving on? What happened before she got in the car? Is she waiting for someone?

(A classic Crewdson picture from his Cathedral of the Pines Collection, 2016)

He can spend weeks and even months setting up a scene before he takes his photograph. The scale of his productions are grand, he employs large lighting crews from the motion picture industry and swathes of other production staff on his sets. He uses cinema production grade equipment for his work. It's as if he takes a Hollywood approach to his photography. It is a very unique way of working.

Expressionism v Narrative

The expressionism within his work is both beautiful and curious. Crewdson's focus is on methodically placing staged subjects in familiar settings, but there is a distortion which engenders a surreal feel. The settings that Crewdson chooses to photograph should really make it a comfortable experience for the viewer, but this is not the case. In all of his photographs something is out of place, his pictures speak of something being wrong, within each image there is an uncomfortable truth. Sometimes it even feels sinister.

Yet despite this uncomfortableness there is something innately relatable. But it's just not that easy to always work out what is resonating with us in Crewdson's pictures.

(An thought provoking image from Crewdson's Beneath The Roses Exhibition, 2005)

Where Narrative Meets Aesthetics

There is an aesthetic softness within Crewdson's images. There is a filmic quality about them. The colour scheme is rich while the lighting says what it needs to about the subjects within the image. To express his concepts he takes advantage of digital manipulation. Much of his work is often compared to stills taken from a film. There can be no doubt that there is a distinctive cinematic feel to his photos. Crewdson fully admits that cinematography is very influential to his photography.

I don't know of any other photographer who manages to capture so much character and story within a photo. But of course the story isn't always blatant. Crewdson leaves the narrative for the viewer to work out. His photos are like a film in which you have to use your imagination to ascertain the plot. In a way they challenge us.

For me the true meaning of Crewdson's work is not in the aesthetics of the picture, Cewdson isn't about the realist theory of art and photography anyway. The real meaning of his photos is the hidden narrative within. Once you start considering his work from that angle, only then is the true value of his work revealed.

(A photo taken from Crewdson's Twilight Collection, 2002)

Reality Is Fiction and Fiction Is Reality

Crewdson's photos uniquely blur the boundaries of reality and fiction. And it's in this blurring where the narrative arc becomes even more meaningful. His pictures are a puzzle in many ways, they are rich with enigma. When you look at any of this photos you will immediately have questions in your mind. What has happened here? Who are these people? What has driven this person or people to this time and place in the picture?

(A blurring of reality and fiction in another photo from Crewdson's Twilight series, 2002)

Crewdson likes to explore the concept of the ideal world, the perfect world and he contrasts that with the real world. There is a strong emotional element to his photos, but again you can not always easily discern what emotion is being communicated and what you should feel. Much of his work speaks of melancholy, sometimes it's faint and other times it's very strong.

If we take a look at the intrinsic value of Crewdson’s work much of it ahs been linked to both Hitchcock and David Lynch. It's a comparison that makes complete sense. Within most of Crewdson's work is contained suspense and anticipation, its like looking at a thriller unfolding before your eyes. This often accompanied with a haunting undercurrent. This is augmented by an additional layer of surreal apprehension in a similar style to that of Lynch.

All of these layers taken together help build a complete picture which provides the viewer with a compelling, enriching and often curios challenge. Should the viewer rise and meet the challenge, then the reward is the multitude, perhaps endless, stories each viewer takes away with them in their own mind.

If you want to learn more about the mind of the genius Crewdson and his work then check out this intimate documentary with Gregory Crewdson himself. It's called There But Not There and was released in 2017.

“Every artist has a central story to tell, and the difficulty, the impossible task, is trying to present that story in pictures.”
Gregory Crewdson, photographer

Gregory Crewdson is one of a kind. I'm sure there are other photo artists out there who work in the same style as Crewdson but I have to be honest and say I haven't found that many. And certainly not on the same skill level as him. His pictures really do speak to me in a way that no other photographer does. From the aesthetic to the intrinsic Crewdson's pictures are captivating, puzzling and engaging in equal measure. I hope some of you will appreciate his work just as much as I do.

Peace!

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