Further Research: Gregory Crewdson Genius or Overblown Ego?

 In this research post, I will be discussing the work of Gregory Crewdson and his methodology and contrast this with my own working method.  I will begin by examining the image below and others, from the Twilight Series (1998-2002) and the methods that Crewdson employs to capture these set up, highly stylised images that Crewdson creates.  Crewdson's photographs in this series are; 'eerie photographs of suburbia at dusk require set-ups as elaborate as a film shoot.' (Helmore, 2006) Crewdson's sets and crew are expensive, the sets are made from scratch whole streets have been blocked off for the time of the shoot, every detail is considered just as in a film set. The images in this series are exposing suburbia and the strange nature of its inhabitants.  In this image a man is seen scrubbing a floor and he is illuminated by strange tunnels of light coming from above, are these bullet holes from a shotgun? Is he cleaning up blood? Why can we see the wardrobe of clothes behind him and what is the significance? Crewdson states that; 'I'm not really that interested in the before or after. I want the story to remain unresolved' (Helmore, 2006). Perhaps this is why audiences enjoy this work as the image can lead you anywhere to different stories, ideas and resolutions. In my own work, I do like the uncanny, the eerie, the strange but in a much more understated way, I also like the use of the set up image but I do think it is far more 'real' in that it tends to use familiar environments, the domestic and often myself rather than any model.

Untitled (2001) by Gregory Crewdson, Digital C Print

Crewdson's sets are like film sets and his use of light is beautifully orchestrated in each image. ight is the key in all photography however I do enjoy the happy accident, the light dancing and moving and overexposing is what can be interesting in an image. Photography is a lonely business, just you and the camera, Rena Silvereman states; 'Mr. Crewdson projects his own solitude in how he works. His three-part process — preproduction, production and postproduction — establishes his organizational removal. Photographing from a cherry picker, he removes himself from his subjects physically.' (Silverman, 2016).  It is true that Crewdson's images ooze solitude but this idea that he is alone, does not really ring true when he has a whole crew to make his final image and although he may have placed himself above them all he is just the ringmaster and the final shot is at his discretion. This could be considered that he thinks himself to be God, the creator of these images which all photographers' are in a sense but there is a point where there is over-control of what is being made and when no mistakes are allowed, do we lose that creative spark? 

Untitled (2001) From the Twilight Series By Gregory Crewdson 

In this second image the girl stands almost naked and cold in front of the car, the woman gets out with the shopping, is this her daughter? a stranger? The people in the image almost look unreal like statues, maybe the still image has gone too far? Avant Arte states; 'Much like a painting, the artist decides every detail. Crewdson's photographs call to mind a tableau by Edouard Manet. People, objects and phenomena coexist in meticulously arranged, quasi-candid moments. With each life-size diorama, he subverts the truth we expect from a camera.' (Avant Arte, 2023).  It is true they are more like paintings, objects and people moved into place correctly so that the camera can mechanically record the scene - the made up scene (like a Tableaux). Avant Arte states that it subverts the truth of the camera - but this is a difficult statement as then we have to question what truth?  the scene is obviously concocted and we know it is a fiction and the days where it was stated 'the camera never lies' are now long gone.  Sharon from the Open College of the Arts argues that Crewdson's' images are vague and ambiguous to the point of having no meaning  she also states; 'So what was Crewdson’s motivation behind this intensive process?  He says his work is all about the blending of fact and fiction but I find it hard to see much of real life in his images.  It seems to me his work is actually about fantasy and fiction, but that’s another matter.  Who has seen a fully naked, pregnant woman standing in the middle of the street at the perfectly lit twilight?  No?  Me neither. So my question for you today is: Does it matter what the photographer’s intention is in creating meaningful photographic art?' (Sharon, 2012) clearly disagreeing with the artist about his work, I agree with Sharon that this is pure fiction there is no reality here, Crewdson expects the audience to 'fill in the gaps' to find meaning when perhaps the artist had none in the first place. What is clear is that Crewdson loves the process, the precision, the exacting light the hyperreal.  These pictures often make me think of the emptiness of modern life, the world is a screen and we are now just reflections in that screen but we are not creating anything new or interesting. 

The problem with these images is that they lack heart, I do not believe Crewdson is really bothered about his subject or theme, he is just God moving the parts to see what will become of them in his final imagery where they like Araki states 'are murdered'. My own work I believe comes entirely from the heart, wanting to express the inexpressible in ordinary life.  In my own images I will present images that have meaning and soul. I also will enjoy the happy accident, the wrong light, the mistakes that make everything just that little bit more human. 

 

References

Gagosian (2018). Gregory Crewdson: Twilight, Beverly Hills, June 29–August 3, 2002. [online] Gagosian. Available at: https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2002/gregory-crewdson-twilight/ [Accessed 18 Nov. 2024].

Avant Arte (2023). Gregory Crewdson’s Twilight: 25 Years on. [online] avantarte.com. Available at: https://avantarte.com/insights/articles/gregory-crewdson-25-years-of-twilight [Accessed 18 Nov. 2024].

Helmore, E. (2006). Gregory Crewdson, Twilight: Photography in the Magic Hour, V&A, London. The Guardian. [online] 4 Oct. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2006/oct/04/photography [Accessed 18 Nov. 2024].

Silverman, R. (2016). Alone, in a Crowd, With Gregory Crewdson. [online] Lens Blog. Available at: https://archive.nytimes.com/lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/01/25/alone-in-a-crowd-with-gregory-crewdson/ [Accessed 18 Nov. 2024].

Sharon (2012). Is it a case of style over substance in cinematic photography? [online] The Open College of the Arts. Available at: https://www.oca.ac.uk/weareoca/photography/gregory-crewdson-phillip-lorca-dicorcia-style-or-substance-in-cinematic-photography/ [Accessed 18 Nov. 2024].

Architectural Design Board: Concept Board & Process

 In digital workshops today we were working on architectural design boards and trying to create a consistent set of boards for the final portfolio.  Here is the process of the concept board. I began by opening Photoshop and then clicking on 'File' and then 'New', this opened the dialog box and I chose 'Print' in the top menu and then I clicked on 'View all presets' and clicked on A3.  I then went to the right-hand side column and chose landscape orientation, 300ppi for high resolution and I chose a white background.  I then clicked on 'Create'.  I now had my blank canvas. I had chosen some abstract pieces from Unsplash that I could use as a background design for my boards, I chose green as this represents health and wellbeing and this curved pattern I thought would suit the stroke rehabilitation centre concept that I was creating.  I opened this image in Photoshop, I then went to 'Select' in the top menu and then in the drop-down box 'Select All'   I went to 'Edit' and then 'Copy' then clicked back into my canvas and clicked on 'Edit' and then 'paste'.  i used the transform controls to ensure that my canvas was completely covered by this image.  I then went to my layers panel in the bottom right-hand corner and clicked on the opacity slider so that it was around 50% so that the background was not distracting.  I then returned to the 'Move' tool in the top left-hand tools menu.

I wanted to then add the title of my project so I clicked into the 'Text' tool in the left-hand menu and then clicked onto the page.  I then wrote my Title into the text box and then selected this to change the font to at pts.  I also made a logo on Adobe Express 'De Velde Architecture' with an appropriate image that I thought would match the project's overall design.  I opened this in Photoshop and again just selected all and then copied and pasted it into my canvas. 

I then just wanted to add an image - this is just a stand-in image until I have created the real concept image myself.  I chose something suitable just from the internet for this and then again just opened in Photoshop and then selected and copied and pasted this into the canvas. 

My final step was to add the main body of text and this was just under the 'concept' title' so I clicked into the Text tool and then onto the canvas and just wrote this using the same font at  pts.

I then saved the piece as a PSD file so that it could edited and a jpeg so that I could easily view and use this image here. This is the final piece below.  

Reflection 

Overall I was fairly happy with the design except for the pattern makes it look like the text is bending even though it is perfectly straight.  Therefore for my final designs, I would definitely choose a different background to ensure this optical illusion is removed!  I do like the concept that I have written here and do think with a real drawing this would work quite well (on a different background). 

Software Practice/Customer Profile

 Today I am going to create a customer profile on Photoshop as software practice and to show who my target market is. 

I began by opening Photoshop and clicking on 'New File' and then a dialog box opened and then I clicked on 'Print' in the top menu.  I then clicked on 'view all presets' and then chose the size of my canvas which was A3.  I then chose the orientation which was portrait, checked the resolution was 300ppi so this high quality.  I then chose the background colour as white and then clicked 'create'.

I then chose and abstract image from Unsplash and I downloaded this at a large size onto my desktop.  I then went back to Photoshop and clicked on 'File' and then 'Open' and chose my image from the computer and then I went to Select in the top menu and then 'Select All'.  I then clicked on 'Edit' and the 'Copy'.  I then went back to my canvas tab and clicked on 'Edit' and then 'Paste' and the I use the transform controls to cover my canvas with my image and then I clicked back on to the move tool in the left hand side tools menu.  I then clicked on the layer in my layers section so I could access tools for that layer and then I lowered the opacity until I was happy with the background design. 

Then chose my ideal customer on Unsplash this will be a Generation X man who is quite trendy and may interested in photography.  I then then added this image to the canvas as a new layer in the same manner as the last screenshot.

I created a logon Adobe Express and saved this on the desktop, I used this program as it creates a file with a transparent background so I could adjust this on my canvas.  Then I opened this on Photoshop and added as a new layer I clicked on the logo and went to 'Image' and then 'Adjustments' and then 'Hue and Saturation' to change the colour and depth of colour to match my canvas background. 

My next step was adding the text so I clicked on the text tool in the left hand tool menu and then clicked on the canvas.  I added in my first text layer the title and then I changed the font to Constantia and  I changed the size of the text to 55pts.  I adjusted the colour by clicked in Text menu at the top of the workspace, I changed this to a darkish grey.  I then added a second text layer for my subtitle this was 30pts and then I added my third text layer for the body of text this was 24pts.  I then checked my spelling on Photoshop by clicking on 'Edit' and 'Check Spelling'

 I continued to add further text layers to complete the profile.  I then clicked on File 'save as' and I saved as a psd file onto my desktop.  I then also saved as a copy as a jpg onto my desktop.  Please see my finished work here. 

Software Practice: Photoshop

 Today we are practicing Photoshop and I will be creating  a mock up Book cover for my project.

I began by opening Photoshop and clicking on 'New File' and then a dialog box opens.  In this box I go to the top menu and clicked on 'Print' and then 'view all presets'  I then chose A4 size as I will be creating a book cover and I checked that the resolution was 300ppi so that the work would be of printable quality.  I then chose the background colour as white and then I clicked on 'create' and now have a white canvas to work on.

My next step was to go to unsplash to find a suitable image to mock up my front cover.  I found the right black and white image and downloaded this onto my desktop at a high resolution.  I then went to 'File' on the top menu and then 'open'.  I then again went to the top menu and then clicked on 'Select' and in the drop down box 'Select All' and then I went 'Edit' in the top menu and then in the drop down box 'Copy'.  Then went back to my canvas tab and clicked on 'Edit' and then 'Paste.  I then used the transform control to drag the image over the edges of the canvas to cover the page. I then clicked on the top tool (Move tool) in the left hand menu to ensure that the transform of the image stayed in position. 

I then went to the text tool in the left hand side menu and clicked on this and then clicked on the canvas for where I wanted to place the text.  I changed the title to my own and then used the text tool in the top menu to change the size to 60pts and then i changed the font to Constantia.  I then used the move tool to move the text into position on the page ensuring I left a good margin on the left hand side for publishing. 

I then went Adobe Express and created a logo.  I then downloaded this and used the transparent background file and I opened this in Photoshop.  I then cropped this using the crop tool in the left hand menu and then I adjusted the colour saturation and hue by going to Image in the top meu and then Hue/saturation.  I then used the dialog box and gently adjusted the sliders to create the correct colour that I was looking for the match my book cover. 

I then completed the cover by adding my name by clicking on Text and creating another text layer.  I then changed the font to Constantia at 36 pts.  I then used the move tool to place this using the gridlines underneath the title as I thought this balanced the page well. 

My last job is to download and save the final cover.  So I went to File in the top menu and then save as a psd file and also as a jpeg.

Biteable Video

 We all made a Biteable video yesterday (In Art & Design) and we could not download this so I have used one that I made a while ago (while it was free) 

You may be able to get a share link in a trial (but don't pay for anything!) always cancel any trial in time so you don't pay!.

You can if you wish embed the link into your website.  I added mine to YouTube as all links are easier to add from my YouTube channel on both Blogger and Wix. 

I also created another video on Powtoon this is free and you an get a shareable link and add to your You Tube channel.  you can pick a free video resume template and edit just like Biteable.

Zoe's resume

Either of these can be embedded into the website and be an additional feature to sell yourself. 

Nobuyoshi Araki & Mikiko Hara: Website Evaluation & Comparision

 In this post I will be comparing the websites of Nobuyoshi Arak and Mikiko Hara.  I will be looking at the design, layout, colour palette, typography and also technical aspects such as navigation, ease of use, presentation of galleries and how easy it is to use and understand the artist.

Mikiko Hara

I will begin with Mikiko Hara and her website.  The website is clean and well presented on the homepage with a clear sans serif font on a white background.  The words are well spaced and it is easy to read the introduction to the artist.  The introduction sits on the left hand side and includes a small biography underneath on the right hand side where your eye is drawn to there is a still image of her work (Untitled 2008) This still like is representative of the work the artist creates and the colour tonality and frame emphasis the subtle beauty of her pieces.  In the header there is a clear navigation bar that includes all areas of her work and on the homepage there is a further navigation bar with links to those pages.  In the footer there is a wide range of social links and the copyright is up to date (2024) also placed in the footer. There is also a search bar in the footer which is useful. 

The next page that I clicked into was the Biography of the artist this page is laid out in a similar manner to the homepage and includes the same image, this is a pity, as it would have been more interesting to have a different image as the artist has a wide range of work.  The biography is laid out in Education, Exhibitions and Publications and does give a clear timeline of the artists work. 

The following pages - Press - this has just one item and it is in the left hand corer of the page and is from the exhibition ;Just visiting this Planet' from 2022, This perhaps could have been incorporated on another page or more reviews/press added as this is a bit of an empty page. The exhibitions page again is a just one exhibition the same as the press page with one image and an introduction this again is from 2022. The following page has events with three examples but again not resent ones. 

The more interesting pages are 'series' and 'works' both these pages contain the body of her works and so here there is a wide array of projects that can be viewed. for instance if I go into Angus Dei I can see all the images from this project and when I click  into the image this is presented well and expands with all the image details on the left hand side.  

I can even click 'view on wall' and see this in a domestic space, there is also an inquire button which mean I can inquire if I wish to buy this or any other print on the sit.  The works page is very similar this is just singular works but the page works and is presented in the same way. The last page is art fairs and shows two art fairs.  I do think there are perhaps too many pages here and some pages are not that useful and I personally would pare this down to present just the best work and stick to the gallery pages. Overall I enjoyed the website it was clean and easy to use and read and also I could fins all the information I wanted and view the artist work well through very good presentation of work. 

Nobuyoshi Araki

The second website I will be looking at is Nobuyoshi Araki .  This website starts with a painted photographic image of the artist as a welcome.  If you click on the image you enter the site. 

On the homepage There is information on the artists latest exhibition .  The page has been designed with a deep burgundy background and on the left hand side there is all the information this is written in sans serif text and is quite small in the left hand corner there is a flower image that bleeds into the page and this is am elegant design.  However all the works and pages are quite small and to the left hand side so there is a large right hand space that is just the deep burgundy colour. Araki's full name that looks like a painted signature is placed over the flower in the left hand corner and this is well designed and signifies that this is an artists website.  The  navigation bar is rather ugly and tiny and sits in a small black header that contains also an email address to contact the artist..  The homepage itself scrolls down through all the artists exhibitions with and images description, Araki has a ling history so the scrolling takes some time and ends with a few of his publications.  It is a pity this is laid out this way as this could be so much better presented.  At the bottom the page I found the copyright notice but this stated 2001-2006, so this site is rather out of date. 

I then went to 'special features' the second item on the navigation bar - this was a series of links to videos or Araki's work however none of these links works as the player is no longer supported probably due to the age of the website.  The layout is consistent in design, colour and typography to the homepage. 

The biography was next and this again is a an extremely long scroll to the bottom as it start in 1940 however, helpfully, there are links to years at the side so it is easy to jump through this with these links. Unfortunately on all these pages there is no back to top button so it is quite annoying to return to home. 

The contact page just open an email box and is not a page.  Overall this website is clearly out of date and has issues.  it is quite comprehensive in terms of recoding Araki's output through the years, however I am hoping he has a more up to date site available. This site came at the top of a google search so if there is a more up to date site it needs better meta tags and SEO. 

Comparing the two sites, obviously Mikiko Hara's is more up to date however there were too many pages and on some of these they were not new work but from 2 years ago and as the artist I around 56 years old I would have expected there would be more output recently.  Or it is better not to include these pages.  The presentation of work was really good with lovely expansion of images on the screen, good information about the pictures and good features like viewing in a room and the inquire button.  Araki's site did have lists of his work and images all the way through but not full collections and the user friendliness of his site left much to be desired, which is unfortunate when many of his works are so sensual and sumptuous. Araki is now 84 years old and i will be searching for a more up to date and joyful website  to view his work.  out the two clearly Hara's is preferable and much more user friendly and accessible for the audience to appreciate the work. 

Nobuyoshi Araki & Georges Perec: Object & Image

 In Tokyo Still Life, Araki's images of women bound and in sexually provocative positions are juxtaposed by images of ordinary life in Tokyo, the trees, the market stalls, men on their way to work, children playing, people on trains, a woman standing at a crossing, boys going to school, a grandmother and her dog.  Araki states; 'If Tokyo is a city heading for death - "Isn't Tokyo a gigantic graveyard! Are we really alive!, Araki also thinks of the city as "the womb from which I was born, I don't imagine Tokyo as something abstract...but a place where I feel good."' (Araki:2001:8)

Tokyo Still Life (2001) Nobuyoshi Araki (P64)

These images present life Keehan states of the work; 'All these strands are cross-informed, so that daily life, the natural world and the fabric of the city assume powerful erotic qualities, all operating as metaphors for the body and relationships' (Keehan, 2014)  I would disagree with this statement as I don't think that these images of the city and its people all have erotic qualities, or are metaphors for the body.  These are people and things that are intertwined within the city, the fabric of the city, yes, they make wonder and life and the things that they touch and eat are important, the streets they walk on the buildings they inhabit.  I have been considering these things, the psychogeography of my own life as I walk my own city, knowing every crevice and pothole, seeing the same faces and scenes.  I also consider my own interior world inside my own home.  I have also been reading Perec's 'Things' Here there are descriptions of interiors; 'A bedside table, with an openwork copper band running round three of its sides, would support a silver candlestick lamp topped with a very pale grey silk shade, a square carriage clock, a rose in a stem vase.' (Perec: 2011:23) These to me are like the photographs of Araki they are the things we live with, that surround us, perhaps engulf us, expand us and suffocate us. 

 

Subway Love (1963-72) Nobuyoshi Araki

Prior to Tokyo Still Life Araki; 'obsessively photographed fellow passengers during his daily trips to and from work on the Tokyo subway. Yawning businessmen, women dozing with their legs splayed, kids who guessed what he was up to and mugged for the camera – Araki captured them all on film and without using a viewfinder.' (Exibart Street, 2019) this need to capture life within the lens to keep it and savour it, to snap and not see to be surprised.  This is the joy of these kinds of images, people unaware, themselves in public but within themselves. 

The things that interest me here are the descriptive images and text, the ordinary things that are our lives.  I am interested in the inner life of the domestic environment and often as I walk into my own home when I am alone I have totemistic objects all over the home I touch these things every day.  They are part of me and I become part of them.  I want to write about these things and photograph these and the exterior things that are part of my psyche in the city.  I will begin with both words and text and I will post the beginnings of these thoughts and pictures and see where they might lead.

In preparation for using Blurb I just checked and updated my profile 

I have chosen the book size which will be a small square 18cm x 18cm to match the formatting of the images. I have also begun to think about the text and the message I want to convey through the work as above.

References

Araki N. (2001) Tokyo Still Life, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham

Exibart Street (2019). Subway Love - Nobuyoshi Araki - Exibart Street. [online] Exibart Street. Available at: https://www.exibartstreet.com/news/subway-love-nobuyoshi-araki/ [Accessed 3 Nov. 2024].

Keehan, R. (2014). ESSAY: Nobuyoshi Araki’s photographs | QAGOMA Collection Online. [online] Qld.gov.au. Available at: https://collection.qagoma.qld.gov.au/node/48890 [Accessed 3 Nov. 2024].

Perec G. (2011) Things/A Story of the Sixties with A Man Asleep, Vintage, Random House, London.