Gregory Crewdson

The Aesthetics of Repression

Gregory Crewdson is a leading figure in a major movement in photography, one that favors fantasy over realism and is often inspired by the cinema.

Crewdson is interested in the psychology underlying the American suburban experience and finds photography to be the ideal medium to create the tense and often eerie scenes he envisions. His photographs emphasize the human condition; the melancholic nature of life in the suburbs and the alienation between individuals.

Much like a film director he achieves his startling images by working with a professional crew including a director of photography, a camera operator, a production designer, actors and a casting director. Astonishingly elaborate sets are the rule for most of the "incidents" he creates. These tableaux are often based on paintings by American artists, including Edward Hopper and Norman Rockwell as well as scenes from well-known movies by directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Steven Spielberg.