Period 6 -- Critical Analysis #9

1/23/2020

Today you will be writing about this photograph made by artist Gregory Crewdson.

Read this short biography for Crewdson before you write:

Gregory Crewdson is an American photographer best known for staging cinematic scenes of suburbia to dramatic effect. His surreal images are often melancholic or disturbing, offering ambiguous narrative suggestions and blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality, thanks to the artist’s painstaking preparation of elaborate sets, lighting, and cast. “My pictures are about a search for a moment—a perfect moment,” Crewdson has explained. Born on September 26, 1962 in Brooklyn, NY, the artist works with large production teams to scout and shoot his images. His work has been exhibited widely, notably including solo exhibitions at Gagosian Gallery in New York, the San Diego Museum of Art, and White Cube in London, among many others. A 1988 graduate of the Yale School of Art, he has served on its faculty since 1993 and is currently the director of its graduate studies in photography. The artist lives and works in New York, NY.

Your analysis must be 5 paragraphs, 5 sentences minimum per paragraph. Remember to post your analysis as a comment to the blog post that corresponds to your class. If you post your analysis to the wrong class's post, it will not be graded.

If you do not complete your analysis in class, you must finish and post it by midnight today!

Refer to your "How to See" handout for analyzing a photograph--

Describe specifics.
Describe form.
Describe the content.
Evaluate the image

Your analyses will be graded on:

meeting minimum length requirements
depth of organization
evaluation of the content
grammar/punctuation

Nathan Harrison

1/23/2020 12:32:05 pm

The image contains a mother in a bedroom sitting on a bed staring at her infant child sleeping on the other side of the bed. It appears to be during the winter season as there is snow on the ground outside the hotel room and the build up of frost on the window. The wall of the hotel is covered with a dark shade of red while the inside of the hotel room contains a combination of bright colors and mixtures. Most of the picture is covered with low lighting to emphasize the main subject of the photo that is is the area of brighter lighting.

I think that Gregory purposely followed the rule of thirds to increase the attention of the eye to the mother and child in the room. The main subject is placed around the upper left spot of the grid. The use addition of the hotel room entrance to the photo really helps amplify the main subject of the image. The point of view of the photo is the view of a person that is outside the hotel room looking inside the place. The depth of field is obviously shallow as the subject is very close to the camera. Although not in the center of the photo, the focal point is definitely the window that reveals the mother and child. The image is definitely well balanced even though it is not symmetrical because it doesn’t have to be. The framing of the photo and selection of objects in the photo have made it balanced.

A theme that may be possible in this picture may be the hard life of a single parent, especially during the holidays as this image is set in. The stare of the mom towards her sleeping child shows the stress and anxiety that may be flowing through her head as she may be thinking of how she is going to raise her child. This image is definitely be a scene in a movie, maybe the start of a hallmark movie, or a shot based off a true story.

I would say that this image is a successful image as it really pulls the eye towards what the photographer wants you to see. The theme could be interpreted so many different ways based on how you see it. The lighting and the contents of the image really do stand out and improve the quality of the image.

The image definitely took a lot of work to put together. Considering that Gregory uses a production team to help create the images is a lot. Getting the baby to sleep on the bed in that position probably took a lot of patience and quietness to get the baby to rest. Getting the specific lighting in that photo must have been painstaking as the may have taken hours to get the perfect exposure to illuminate the set. At the same time how long did it take for Gregory to think about this photo and what he wanted and it was going to be arranged most likely took time too, but definitely paid off.

Isabella

1/23/2020 12:33:27 pm

This image is taken of what appears to be outside of a hotel room or in. The inside of the building appears cold and uncomfortable as well as far from personal. In the structure sits a woman on the bed gazing at a small infant who lies sleeping. On the outside of the building dirty snow is piled up in heaps. The frost on the windows gives an eerie sense and makes the viewer feel cold with which the brain associated with mystery. The lighting is ominous and low and the natural hues of evening are projected on the outside of the building even though it could be bright enough to appear as day. The lighting contrast between the outdoors and indoors intentionally highlights the figures in the bedroom. Although distress is not a word that I could use to describe the image, uncertainty and disdain are radiated throughout the image.

The image is composed using the rule of thirds due to the fact that the main attraction of the image is placed in the far left top of the image. The image is pleasing to look at due to the fact that you can put yourself inside the image due to the fact that it is taken in the perspective of an onlooker from the outside. The focal image of this piece is the woman and her child due to the light that illuminates them, contrasting the darkness of the outside and highlighting the importance of their interaction. The lines of the image are found in the architecture and the window frames the scene that is occuring indoors making it the main proponent of the image. The subject only takes up a very small portion of the image which makes the viewer focus on the setting and what is going on in the outside to figure out what is happening on the inside.

The themes and ideas that I have gathered from the image are motherhood, rejection, escapism, drug use, troubled childhood. There is definitely a story being told in the image and it is difficult to come to a conclusion over what it is about however we can only analyze the facts and reflect on how it makes us feel. I think the Artist made this image as a way to advocate for the issues occuring in the image and to spark a question. The image reminds me of a woman abused by her husband who runs away from her husband with their child to protect it and give it a better life. This image could question religious beliefs as well as conventional relationship standards and how women need to fight to reform them. The image is beautiful and intricate and it is impressive how the artist cut and merge all of the different image to create thew, more improved image.

I personally don’t like the image because I am not the biggest fan and light blue hues and that is what I see when I look at the image. However I am very happy to say that it is now something that feels like a memory due to its eerie, dreamy nature. If I could place this image in a place I would place it in the upper midwest based on the fact that the environment is light, natural and conflicting with things such as cars and other people. Hazy and cold seem like a perfect combination for addiction and suffering. I think the photo is successful because it is easily relatable and makes us question what is going on and how you can fix it.

In conclusion I believe that this artists methods are so intriguing and unique and that the way in which he so meticulously sets everything up is impressive. I enjoy the idea that he was able to pick and choose layers and things to focus on to composite an image that highlights all of the main subjects, in his case lighting, and focuses less on the negative space and outside. The image is taken from the viewpoint perspective of a completely other person which makes the viewer feel as though he or she is part of the situation that is being photographed.

Chloe C

1/23/2020 12:34:07 pm

Gregory Crewdson’s image is of a short, faded red apartment in which you can see inside. Through the window, an obviously young baby is visible lying on the bed. A woman, possibly the mother, is sitting on the edge of the bed watching the child. On the outside of the house, it is dark and there is snow that has been piled up against the walls. Not fresh snow, though, it is very dirty and obviously not new.

This image seems very balanced and proportionate to me because of the point of view, which makes it seem as if you were just passing by and also how you could just walk right in the door. When I look at this image, my eye is being directed inside the house through the door and exploring the inside of the house before looking anywhere else. The subject, which I would think to be the woman and child, do not fill the entire frame and there is extra space. However, the window does indeed seem to be framing the woman and child within the frame of the image, ironically. The composition of this image is pleasing to look at in a weird way, meaning that it satisfies me to see the framing of this image and the setup, but it does give an almost melancholic suggestion to it at the same time.

This image reminded me of a short story that I am in the process of making at the moment. It is based off of a news story that I read about a fire that happened at this family’s house, which happened to be red just as the one in this image, and they all ended up losing their lives due to injuries. This image reminded me of that because of the red house and the snow, because the fire happened while it was snowing at their house. Another connection between the two is the fact that in the fire, a mother was stranded inside the burning house with her one-year old son. This image reminded me of them as well, because the mother stayed and protected her child; just as any mother would do, and that helped me make a connection with this image. Although I never had any connection to this family, writing a story about it and reading all of the news stories about the tragedy really brought me to feel connected with them, in my own ways.

I like this image, despite the dark, melancholic look to it. I made a connection to this image with something that genuinely means a lot to me. Even though it is a bit mysterious as to what exactly the photographer is trying to say through this image, being able to have my own ideas about it and make my own connections to it really made me feel more in touch with this image than many of the past ones. This image is definitely successful in my opinion not only because of the connections I made to it, but also because of all of the meticulous thought and process that went into the creation of this image. Gregory Crewdson puts a tremendous amount of effort and time into his photography.

Crewdson stages his photographs for a dramatic effect, and in doing that he definitely adds a surreal feature to the images. This image in particular was a composite, to get the lighting correct and, of course, the melancholy affect. I’m sure that they used elaborate lighting sets to give it the effect that it has. I am impressed with the amount of work and production that Crewdson does just to get the “perfect moment”, as he says. After reading his shortened biography, I have a new perspective on just how much effort that people will put in to get the perfect shot, and just how important it is to them.

Kellen Dukatnik

1/23/2020 12:37:25 pm

The image by Gregory Crewdson depicts a woman sitting inside a small motel room on her bed with a baby on the foot of her bed without any covers on a cold night. It uses dark colors or colors you could find at any ordinary hotel. The lighting is made to make it appear night. The objects included are a fully furnished hotel room and snow. The woman is staring at the baby with a face that displays she is tired and exhausted.
The composition is rather sad to look at because it provokes this feeling of empathy towards the women in the image and her baby. Rule of thirds does not seem to be being used because the subject is in the center of the shot. The point of view comes from the perspective of someone who is passing by outside. The depth of field is rather deep since you can see everything clearly. The subject, being the women and the baby do not take up the whole frame; there are lots of bare parts.
Themes from the image suggest that you never know what someone else is going through. There does not seem to be a story being told, but It could be one about how people spend their holidays. The artist made this image of entertaining or persuading the viewer. The image reminds me of a motel I stayed in when traveling to Colorado. The image is noteworthy because it makes you think about others more.
Overall I enjoyed the image, the way it uses the window as a frame, as well as the details, are intriguing. The photograph is successful because of the way it uses lighting and frame to help the meaning flow works well. The photographer may have made the image to get others to feel empathetic towards the women and to get them to feel empathetic towards others alike. The details really help convey the feeling of the image because had they not included the snowy weather, it would seem like any other image.
The image could have been made in some studio, made by a team of workers, or they could have rented a room to the motel. The baby in the image could be the daughter or son to the women in the picture. The baby could be a prop because keeping a baby still for a while is almost impossible. The two seem to be going through some financial struggles due to the conditions they are living in. Overall the image would be tough to create because of how detailed everything is.

Flint Rose

1/23/2020 12:39:28 pm

This piece depicts a house or more likely a motel room. It is dark and cold outside. The snow on the porch gives this away. The windows and the door are perfectly transparent so the viewer can see inside. The buildings exterior looks very old and worn down.
On the inside the door gives a good view of a very cramped white bathroom. In the other window we can see a woman sitting on a bed. The bed is made and a baby sleeps on the bed. The room seems to be a motel room due to the design, the phone, and the thermostat dial on one of the walls. The light on the inside of the room makes it feel much warmer than the outside.
The rule of thirds is being used on the women sitting on the bed. Everything is very dark outside, which contrasts the inside. The viewpoint also makes the viewer feel like a person walking by looking at the women from the outside. The subject of the women don't take up that much positive space, the rest leaving a lot of negative space. The lines of the wood planks on the room can lead the viewers eyes to the windows.
The piece is quiet. The colors make you remember times sitting in a warm place when everything else is cold. The sleeping baby also makes the viewer remember times of staying quiet for a sleeping baby. The stillness is also enforced due to the fact that there are only two people in the shot.
I like this piece, it reminds me of a local motel in Wyoming. The colors also bring me back to wyoming, dirty snow, cement walkways past old wooden buildings, and interior decorations that look out of the wrong generation. Everything about this piece screams small local town motel. All of these were very reminiscent of my home town in wyoming of 900 people. These are the things that add to my enjoyment of this piece.

mateo

1/23/2020 12:39:39 pm

This photograph by Gregory Crewdson is of a rented room in a motel from the outside. There are dark colors being used like grey, black, and dirty white with the inside of the room being beige. The lighting is provided by moonlight on the outside and on the inside by a lamp and light bulbs. There is a car on the left of the image and an overhang covering above the door and the window. There is a bathroom and a bedroom with one bed and a lady with a baby. The lady is watching the baby sleep.

The image gives me a erie vibe because the setting seems so quiet. The point of view of the image is from a stranger looking at them when they think they aren't being watched and that they are in a private moment. There is a narrow depth of field being used to capture everything in the image. The lines in the wood direct your eyes to the window and to where the subject is. The edge of the image cuts of the room next to the right and the car to the left. It also cuts the overhang above. There is extra space everywhere around the window because the subject does not fill it all.

The idea behind the image is scary because it is almost like we are stalking the subject when they think they are in a private moment. The story being told in the image is to enjoy the small things in life that we take for granted. For example, watching your infant because before you know it they will be having kids of their own and seeing the life that you created and everything that lies ahead of them. This image reminds me of a movie where teenagers rented a cabin and were being watched the entire time.

I like this image because of how simple and erie it is. I find the image interesting because of the process that was used to capture the image and the time it took to capture it. I think the photograph was successful because it paints a picture of what else could be happening around the subject and because I enjoyed it.

I think the artist made this image by photographing the outside of an actual motel room and creating a set somewhere else to capture the subjects doing whatever he wants. If he did create this whole set I think they built a small set so they were able to adjust everything that they didn’t like or had a better idea for a certain object. I think they also had to study a real version of a motel so they could copy it in a way they could change it. They also used compositing to make sure they could properly light everything they wanted.

Ben Barlow

1/23/2020 09:40:50 pm

Brief encounters by American photographer Gregory Crewdson are a series of tableau photographs published in 2012. These pictures were staged by professional film teams with Crewdson organizing all of it. The entire project took over a decade to complete. In this particular photo, a woman and a baby are seen resting in a bedroom through a window. Outside, the poles and the door frame seem to resemble that of an old motel. From context, we can infer that they found shelter on a cold winter’s night.

This image is not pleasing to look at because of the circumstances the mother and her child are left in. They don’t seem to be home; the mother seems to be contemplating where their future is heading. The camera’s point of view takes place at eye level, possibly as an onlooker from outside. The depth of field seems to be focused on the scene happening inside the bedroom, as well as the exterior of the motel. The picture frames the stage inside which directs the audience to observe what is happening.

I think the main theme being told by this image is feeling lost, not knowing where to go. A similar story that resides within all of us, we all know the sensation of leaving everything behind. A motel is a symbol in the United States that represents life on the road. The mother’s deep gaze into her child’s eyes show us her uncertainty. Although I could be misinterpreting it completely, I think the complex story being told in this scene is unlike any we have ever seen in this class. I also find this type of photography to interest me more as well, I wish I could see the rest of the sequence of events to see how the story ends.

Overall, I liked this image because of the story Gregory Crewdson was able to convey. After reflecting on it, the story Crewdson was trying to create could be anything; my imagination merely formulated one of the many possible scenarios. This aspect of the picture, where you can look back at it and see something completely different, I find fascinating. Compared with everything else we’ve had to analyze, I enjoyed studying Crewdson’s work much better. His work is highly successful because of the intense thought process that goes on behind the camera.

Gregory Crewdson is most known for his stage photography, in which he directs professional film crews in order to create a more convincing scene. For this one in particular, it is likely that he fabricated this set entirely so that he was able to manipulate every part of the photo. However, considering how realistic it is, I am sure it was heavily influenced by a past experience or memory. I think it leaves a considerable effect compared with normal photos, but it also requires much more effort. Crewdson’s unique style of tableau photography allows him to have a much greater region of control over his scene and the effect it creates.

Abby Muir

2/9/2020 06:06:41 pm

The image appears to be from a third person point of view. You are looking into a house with a mother and her child on a bed. It looks cold and dark outside. All of the doors in the house are either open or glass, so you can see straight into them. The house appears to be a bit run down, because the paint is chipping and the property isn’t very big.
The color palette in this image is very dark. The outside of the house consists of dark reds, greys, browns, and blacks. The inside is similar, with muted greys and tans. The image has a very deep depth of field, that allows the viewer to see all the way into the house. The negative space is very dark, drawing the viewers attention to the positive space.
I think that you could take this a multitude of ways. For me, I thought of it as the point of view of a stalker or someone walking down the street at night. It’s almost like she doesn’t notice how much people from the outside can see. This image almost reminds me of a Criminal Minds episode, with a stalker or serial killer watching someone, or the agents watching a victim, preparing to catch the suspect. It may challenge some social beliefs, because you normally don’t have your windows open like that at night.
For me, this image is scary. With the color palette and setting as dark as it is, you can tell that there is nothing good going on. The house is so exposed, it almost reminds me of those dreams where everyone is watching you. It’s an interesting photograph for sure, but it’s creepy.

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Period 6 -- Critical Analysis #9

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