Gregory Crewdson

Twilight Series, 1998 - 2002

Twilight Series 1998 - 2002

 Over the past week I have been heavily looking at the work of well-known American photographer Gregory Crewdson after finding him when I was studying for my A-levels. I became almost fixated on how he took such fascinating and paranormal shots of suburban America with the use of artificial lighting and using his well-publicized love of the ‘twilight hour’.

  I first came across him again when looking through the library just for inspiration I looked at Twilight a set of forty photos displayed in a book accompanied with an essay by Rick Moody; I chose to spend a lot of time really looking at a few of photos trying to gain more knowledge on how he shot them but until I got to the back of his book and really began to fixate upon how they were shot I was engrossed on how such large scale expensive shoots created such amazing photographs.

  Amongst my favorites is a photo of a woman sat in her kitchen on a flower bed its simple but evokes such weird imagery its almost like she is possessed. I think the wonder and forced artificial lighting really makes it perfect for this staged distance he creates from reality.

Twilight Series 1998 - 2002

When you see the effort, direction and money that Crewdson applies to his sets you cannot believe he hasn’t made a film; but the appearance of these stills that he has made from these sets is put into perspective of how an average town in America has been changed by one mans mind and fascination with a very natural light form and enhanced by artificial lighting. 

www.vam.ac.uk/content/article/p/gregory-crewdson/

  Crewdson, G., 2002. Twilight. New York: Abrams.