Gregory Crewdson’s photography is immensely cinematic. Partly inspired by filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock, the meticulousness and vibrancy of his work has set Crewdson apart from other contemporary photographers. Indeed, Crewdson has been praised as one of modern photography’s great luminaries. Assistant Professor of Art Sasha Rudensky, a student of Crewdson’s at Yale, hosted “A Conversation With Gregory Crewdson” on Tuesday night. The talk showcased the artist’s work and offered a fascinating look into the life of a truly great American photographer.
Crewdson and Rudensky, sitting next to each other at a table onstage, worked their way through Crewdson’s life and photography chronologically, even working in clips from “Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters,” a documentary on Crewdson released last year. The presentation began with his childhood—the years that would eventually form the basis for his career.
Crewdson explained one unusual influence on his artistic vision: his attempts to peek into his father’s psychiatry office during sessions.
“I think that memory has influenced maybe my entire development as an artist,” Crewdson said. “This idea of looking in on the ordinary or domestic, on everyday life, and trying to find secrets or mystery, and I think that’s what I do now.”
Crewdson and Rudensky then discussed each series and photo in detail, highlighting each photograph’s production and composition. His discussion of his earliest photography, for example, revealed his fascination with the domestic.
“I was interested in the idea of storytelling in photography, but unlike narrative forms like film or literature, in photography there is no beginning and there is no end,” Crewdson said. “There is only this frozen moment in time.”
Other works, like his “Twilight” series, made later in Crewdson’s career, reveal his more cinematic side. Each of these photographs features eerie lighting reminiscent of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” whose special effects designer, Douglas Trumbull, was mentioned by Crewdson. In the “Dream House” series, Crewdson used smaller sets and worked with actors like Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, and William H. Macy. Crewdson identified a clear distinction between these actors and the models he uses in his other work.
“It was a challenge to try to make [the actors] come into my world, rather than me go into their world,” said Crewdson. “I don’t regret doing it because I made some really great friendships, and I like the pictures, but I wouldn’t do it again.”
No matter the series or photograph, Crewdson’s accessibility as an artist and a speaker is apparent. Each photograph he made has its own backstory, an often humorous or inspiring memory that made it a distinct work. The most revealing moments came when Crewdson let the world beyond the photograph enter the conversation. To make one photo from his “Hover” series, he left a note asking for permission to use someone’s backyard to make a circle of mulch. The homeowner responded with what Crewdson called “the greatest words of advice for any artist and certainly any student…‘Do what you have to do.’”
If Crewdson’s talk had a central point, it was the definition of a clear aesthetic and theme in one’s artistic career. Crewdson defines his theme as an investigation and study of the domestic and the ordinary. In revealing the life behind the work, “A Conversation With Gregory Crewdson” served to cement this aesthetic in the mind of the audience.
Early in the lecture, Crewdson gave similar advice to the audience.
“I strongly feel that every artist does have one story to tell,” said Crewdson, “and that story usually emerges when you come of age as a young artist.”