#beneaththeroses

[kunstkioskzh]

Crewdson, Gregory. Beneath the Roses. Werke 2003 - 2007. Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern. 2008. Quer Fol.. OPb. mit OU 140 S., Mit einem Essay von Russell Banks #gregorycrewdson #beneaththeroses #photobook #photobooks #kunstkiosk #kunstkioskimhelmhaus https://bit.ly/2yRaJbo https://www.instagram.com/p/CAF7LnNFS_I/?igshid=9h6dklm8dcir

[charlottecrawford]

‘Untitled’ (Trailer Park), 2007, from the series ‘Beneath the Roses’ Digital carbon print

Gregory Crewdson 

Crewdson’s images can appear very ordinary upon first glance as there isn’t much action taking place. For example, the above image is simply a girl sitting on the swings at a trailer park. However, upon further examination, we look closer and begin to build a narrative around what we see. Crewdson doesn't want to know his subjects well, he wants a certain distance to remain between them and gives them basic physical instructions such as “just open your mouth a little bit”. It is in this way that Crewdson captures these frozen moments in time, making it easier for viewers to project their own narrative onto the picture. We notice a woman peering through a window of a trailer in the background, who we assume is the girl’s mother. The trailer has a faint white mist above the roof, giving it a somewhat ghostly yet ethereal look. Crewdson has stated that he tries to show “the sense of longing that exists in isolation and loneliness, and capture the search for something greater,” which is clearly evident in this image. The way the mother stares out the window perhaps suggests a resentment that her daughter has a chance to change her situation in the future, whereas she will likely remain trapped in the trailer park. The situation of the trailer park being on the edge of what appears to be a forest adds a deeper meaning to the image. Forests are suggestive of an unexplored realm full of the unknown, whilst they are known to stand for the unconscious and it’s mysteries.  Forests have also been used as symbolism of the mother, however this contrasts with the bleak image we see before us.