Gregory Crewdson
GREGORY CREWDSON "UNTITLED (VANITY)" C-PRINT, 2004
Gregory Crewdson (b.1963) is a photographer renowned for his psychologically charged images of seemingly placid domestic scenes. Somewhere between Edward Hopper and David Lynch, Crewdson explores the space between solitude and despair.Â
His greatest strength lies in transforming the deficit of photography to tell a whole story in to its’ strength. Because only one single moment is captured, the viewer is left to contend strictly with the emotions of the scene itself. There is no context, no clarification. The lack of any kind of literal narrative is his ultimate aim. In the words of the artist, he wishes to “privilege the moment.”
This photograph is part of Crewdson’s Beneath the Roses series. A title that suggests a double meaning, one of death, and one of pain lurking below the surface. The subjects are perched on the edge of anticipation, in the infinitesimal moment between before and after. An ambitious project it terms of scale, it took half a decade, and a crew of more than 100 to see the vision through to completion.
This specific image features two subjects, or as Crewdson might call them, actors. A woman sits at her vanity staring at the reflection of a figure that lurks behind her. Despite the lurkers physical absence in the, there is a palpable sense of her presence. The sitter stares at the reflection, brows furrowed, jaw clenched. While at first the interaction may seem hostile, the Lurker stands with eyes downcast, caught almost in an act of supplication. Pill bottles, makeup and perfume are strewn across the vanity, haphazardly, possibly pointing to a state of unraveling.
Crewdson leaves us alone to wonder. What is the relationship between these two women? Is the woman reflected a spirit haunting the sitter? What precipitated this confrontation in such a seemingly benign domestic setting? Everything in the scene is intentional, nothing can be overlooked in this tableaux.
Today Crewdson's work can be found in the collections of numerous museums including MoMA, the Guggenheim, and the Victoria and Albert Museum (London).
Questions about this piece? Contact us, call +1.416.704.1720, or visit our Toronto gallery.
Untitled (Vanity)
USA, 2004
Chromogenic Print, printed in 2008
Signed and inscribed “for Kimerly, 2008” on bottom right
From an edition of unknown size
18"H 24"W (sheet)
20"H 27"W (framed)
This image appears in a larger format in an edition of 6
Literature: Beneath the Roses: Images of Small Town Life
Note: this print was gifted to the model by Crewdson, and inscribed to her on bottom right, face
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