Gregory Crewdson’s Retrospective: Behind the Scenes with Curator Walter Moser
Welcome to this edition of [book spotlight]. Today, we uncover the layers of 'Gregory Crewdson Biography,' by Walter Moser (published by Prestel Publishing). We'd love to read your comments below about these insights and ideas behind the artist's work.
Imagine wandering through a quiet, suburban street at dusk, where the glow from a single window hints at the mysterious lives within. This is the world of Gregory Crewdson, a photographer whose work blurs the lines between reality and the uncanny. Recently, Walter Moser, head of the department of photography at the Albertina in Vienna, sat down to discuss his experience curating the first-ever retrospective of Crewdson’s work. The exhibition, which spans over three decades of Crewdson’s career, is a visual journey into the depths of American life, where every image feels like a scene from a movie yet to be made.
In our interview, Moser shares how Crewdson’s work resonates with him personally and how the artist’s deep connection to cinema influenced the curation process. Whether you’re a long-time admirer of Crewdson or new to his hauntingly beautiful images, Moser’s insights offer a fresh perspective on what makes this photographer’s work so compelling.
Gregory Crewdson, Untitled. From the series: Early Work, 1986-1988. Digital pigment print. ALBERTINA, Vienna. Permanent loan - Private Collection
Curatorial Vision: What initially drew you to Gregory Crewdson’s work, and how did you approach curating his retrospective at the Albertina?
One of my biggest interests lies in the relationship between cinema and photography. Some of my exhibition projects for the Albertina have already been dedicated to this topic: Blow-Up – Antonioni’s Classic Film and Photography (2014) or Film-Stills – Photographs between Advertising, Art, and Cinema (2016). Gregory Crewdson’s work draws so much inspiration and many references from cinema, in fact, his photographs can be seen as a meditation on film.
The goal of the exhibition was to give an overall view of Crewdson’s different series. It is the first retrospective worldwide that brings together all his important groups of works. The major frame of the exhibition is about his long dialogue with cinema, which is already apparent in his first published series Early Works (1986-88)
Gregory Crewdson, Untitled, From the series: Twilight, 1998-2002. Digital pigment print.
ALBERTINA, Vienna. Permanent loan - Private Collection
Influences and Comparisons: Gregory Crewdson’s work is often compared to the paintings of Edward Hopper and the films of Alfred Hitchcock and David Lynch. How do you see these influences manifesting in his photographs?
Gregory Crewdson is one of the main protagonists of postmodern photography. Quoting popular culture such as film is an important strategy to analyze how our perception of reality is shaped by visual conventions. Referencing motives or scenes from film history is a way to visualize the very manner of construction of a photographic image.
But Gregory’s relationship to certain filmmakers goes even deeper. From David Lynch, for example, he learned how to blur the lines between the known and the uncanny, reality and dream, fact and fiction by means of staging enigmatic scenes in suburban environments. Edward Hopper, on the other hand, shaped Gregory’s representation of space, the feeling of solitude and melancholy, and also his reflection of voyeurism. However, his work cannot be reduced to only one of these specific inspirations. In fact, he’s developing his very own cosmos about questions concerning human existence, post-industrial societies, and the nature of visual media.
Cinematic Techniques: Crewdson’s photographs are known for their cinematic quality. Can you elaborate on how his use of light, color, and production design contributes to this effect?
Many different techniques of cinema essentially shape Gregory’s photographic work: His elaborate staging process is similar to the one in a film production. He involves a large group of people and specialists, many of them working in the film business. One of his most important collaborators, for example, is Richard Sands, an experienced cinematographer. The staging of light is crucial for the artist; in many cases light is the main topic. It’s not a coincidence that the title of one of his most renowned series is Twilight (1998-2002).
But the cinematic qualities do not stop there: the picture format is referencing the film screen; the construction of his narratives is indebted to cinematic narration techniques; he’s working with an art director to develop set designs and carefully select props that, in Gregory’s case, often look run down and fallen out of time.
Gregory Crewdson, Untitled, From the series: Twilight, 1998-2002. Digital pigment print.
ALBERTINA, Vienna. Permanent loan - Private Collection
Psychological Depth: Crewdson’s work delves into the psychological interzone between the everyday and the uncanny. How do you think his images capture and convey this tension?
Gregory Crewdson’s protagonists appear to be frozen, static, and introspective; very often they seem to be helpless and there is hardly any connection between them. He positions his figures within a familiar setting, usually connotated with security, communication and idyll. However, Crewdson’s protagonists are totally disconnected from their surroundings. In his later series’ like Cathedral of the Pines (2018/19) or Eveningside (2021/22) this approach is explicitly shown as social critique. It’s impossible for the persons to escape their social determination.
Gregory Crewdson, The Basement, From the series: Cathedral of the Pines, 2013-2014. Digital pigment print.
ALBERTINA, Vienna. Permanent loan - Private Collection
Documentary Approach in Sanctuary: Sanctuary is unique in Crewdson’s oeuvre for its documentary style and use of natural light. How does this series fit into his broader body of work?
Sanctuary is unique, indeed. Gregory Crewdson made this series after the extremely ambitious work, Beneath the Roses (2003-2008), when he was looking for new approaches. With only a small team, he photographed the legendary Cinecittà in a documentary manner without staging scenes as in his other works. But again, the line between fact and fiction, reality and staging processes is at the core of Sanctuary. The artist is taking photographs of film sets and often also depicts the back and construction of the sceneries.
Collaborative Process: Crewdson often works with a large team to create his images. How do you think this collaborative process impacts the final outcome of his photographs?
Gregory Crewdson made his most ambitious series with the help of up to 100 people. He relies on their expertise and input. The artist acknowledges their contributions in many ways. He credits their names or even invites them to recount their experience in short texts for his artist books. But there is no doubt that their input serves Gregory’s artistic vision and auctorial voice.
Legacy and Impact: What do you believe is Gregory Crewdson’s most significant contribution to contemporary photography, and how do you hope this retrospective will influence future generations of photographers and artists?
In my personal opinion, one of his contributions to the history of photography certainly is that he integrated the epic qualities of cinema into contemporary photography while combining media reflexive questions with autobiographical topics and a psychological survey of society.
To discover more about this intriguing body of work and how you can acquire your own copy, you can find and purchase the book here.
Gregory Crewdson
Gregory Crewdson is an American photographer renowned for his elaborately staged scenes of suburban life, which explore the intersection between the ordinary and the surreal. Born in 1962 in Brooklyn, New York, Crewdson began his artistic journey in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from cinema, painting, and his own life experiences. His work is often described as cinematic, with meticulously crafted images that evoke the psychological depth and visual style of directors like David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock. Over the years, Crewdson has become a significant figure in contemporary photography, with major exhibitions worldwide and his work included in prominent museum collections. (Website, Instagram)
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