A bright white beam spotlights a lone figure standing at the edge of a quiet residential driveway. It鈥檚 a still night and the parked cars and cosy lighting from indoors gives the rest of the scene a soothing feel, in the spirit of works by photographers John Barbiaux and Elsa Bleda. There鈥檚 nothing unusual about the setting at a glance, with its dozing cars, cleanly clipped lawns and swooping overhead wires cutting diagonals into the top of the composition. In stark contrast with the mundane, light enters from an unknown point and collects in a circular puddle at the subject鈥檚 feet 鈥 it鈥檚 an oddity that makes this shot so entrancing. It鈥檚 impossible to determine the person鈥檚 response to this phenomenon. Are they amazed? Afraid? Confused? It鈥檚 as though we鈥檝e caught the exact moment that an extraordinary story is about to unfold.
Gregory Crewdson鈥檚 (b. 1962) iconic piece, Untitled (beer garden) (1988), is on display as part of Albertina鈥檚 major retrospective devoted to the lens-based artist鈥檚 impressive 30-year career. Starting with his Early Work (1986鈥1988), the exhibition moves to his famous Twilight (1998鈥2002) series to the mysterious scenes from Beneath the Roses (2003鈥 2008), which聽explores people鈥檚 isolation and alienation from the environment. Visitors will also enjoy the most recently completed Eveningside (2021鈥2022), portraying an unheroic fictional town of the same name in atmospheric black and white. Following Cathedral of the Pines (2013鈥2014) and An Eclipse of Moths (2018鈥2019), Eveningside represents the last part of a trilogy that looks into the social decline of society 鈥 one far removed from the promises of the American dream.
Expertly crafted, otherworldly scenes are Crewdson鈥檚 speciality. The lensman created Untitled (beer garden) (1988) as part of the Twilight series, which is an ongoing collection of large-scale and meticulously staged tableaux. In another frame, Untitled (woman in flowers) (1998), the main character sits in a garden of pink, purple and yellow flowers as her mundane kitchen makes for a now out-of-place background. Elsewhere, Untitled (sleep walker) (1999) shows us another figure out alone at night. This time we glimpse the lonely nighttime wanderer from inside through a curtained window. Crewdson has specifically chosen the witching hour for its air of mystery, its electric potential for transform the mundane into something magical. The photographer brings these scenes into reality like a filmmaker, directing large production crews and members of small suburban communities. The key difference is the perfect stillness.
Crewdson is amongst other creatives bringing elements of film to photography, such as Julie Blackmon鈥檚 (b. 1966) elaborate productions and Polina Washington (b. 1991) atmospheric portraits shot with a cinematographer鈥檚 eye. We might wish for the frozen characters inhabiting these beautiful frames to move and expand the stories hinted through the lighting, props and setting. Why not make a film? Crewdson expands on his devotion to the still in an with Taylor Dafoe: 鈥淭he question for me, always, is how much of a story do you want to tell and how much do you聽not聽want to tell? In the end, I always feel it鈥檚 better to tell less than more. Unlike other narrative forms, no matter what you do, your story is going to be incomplete; it鈥檚 always going to be a question mark, it鈥檚 never going to fulfil itself, unlike a movie.鈥澛
Each frame is filled with possibilities. That鈥檚 the beauty of a single photograph. Here, Crewdson grants us the freedom to project our own desires, experiences and stories onto his work. In this way, we become part of the piece and that is perhaps what makes them so compelling. The longer we spend thinking about his pieces and exploring the tiny details, the stronger our connection with the world becomes. In essence, these are establishing shots that invite the viewer to continue the narrative however they choose.
Albertina, Gregory Crewdon: Retrospective | From 29 May
Words: Diana Bestwish Tetteh
Image Credits:
- Gregory Crewdson, Untitled, From the series: Twilight, 1998-2002 Digital pigment print The ALBERTINA Museum, Vienna 鈥 Permanent loan, Private Collection 漏 Gregory Crewdson.
- Gregory Crewdson, Starkfield Lane, From the series: An Eclipse of Moths, 2018-2019 Digital pigment print The ALBERTINA Museum, Vienna 鈥 Permanent loan, Private Collection 漏 Gregory Crewdson.
- Gregory Crewdson, Untitled, From the series: Early Work, 1986-1988 Digital pigment print The ALBERTINA Museum, Vienna 鈥 Permanent loan, Private Collection 漏 Gregory Crewdson.
- Gregory Crewdson, Untitled, From the series: Beneath the Roses, 2003-2008 Digital pigment print The ALBERTINA Museum, Vienna 鈥 Permanent loan, Private Collection 漏 Gregory Crewdson.
