Process Driven 36: One Central Story to Tell [Gregory Crewdson]

There are only a handful of photographers whose work is instantly recognizable and fewer still who have become a genre unto themselves....

There are only a handful of photographers whose work is instantly recognizable and fewer still who have become a genre unto themselves. I was first introduced to the pictures of Gregory Crewdson through a body of work called Beneath the Roses. I felt instantly connected to that world he so meticulously crafted and I’ve been a huge admirer of his work ever since.

In 2016, I had the opportunity to sit down with Gregory for a conversation about his body of work called Cathedral of the Pines. It was a terrific experience for me, not just because Gregory is one of my favorite photographers, but because it provided a glimpse behind the curtain to a photographic world that I find both moving and familiar. In 2018, Gregory began making photographs for his newest body of work. An Eclipse of Moths continues his exploration of themes like brokenness and isolation as well as a profound connection to light and the encroachment of the natural world. To some that world may seem bleak, especially on first glance — but a deeper look will reveal a narrative that is hopeful and rich with possibility.

As we sat down to talk about An Eclipse of Moths, I began by asking him about the geography he revisits again and again and whether his pictures could be made anywhere else or is the place he now calls home a necessary part of his expression as an artist.

An Eclipse of Moths (with music by Jeff Tweedy) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYhGYZCc_hk

An Eclipse of Moths (Aperture book) – https://aperture.org/books/gregory-crewdson-an-eclipse-of-moths/

Process Driven 05: Gregory Crewdson – https://jefferysaddoris.com/everything/processdriven-05/

CNN Arts Feature – https://www.cnn.com/style/article/gregory-crewdson-photography-eclipse-of-moths/index.html

GREGORY CREWDSON

Funerary Back Lot, 2018 – 2019

Digital Pigment Print

56 1/4 x 94 7/8 inches / 142.9 x 241 cm (unframed)

Edition of 4, with 2 APs

© Gregory Crewdson. Courtesy Gagosian

Connect with Gregory: Website | Instagram | Twitter

Music in this episode: Please Listen Carefully (Jahzzar) / CC BY-SA 4.0

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