Gregory Crewdson Ophelia About Gregory Crewdson is an

Gregory Crewdson Ophelia

About Gregory Crewdson is an American photographer. He is best known for his elaborate staged scenes of American Homes and Neighbourhoods. His photographs are normally dramatic, which often feature surreal and disturbing events.

Our Picture. . . Is called Ophelia from Twilight. The photograph shows a young woman who is floating on the mirror-like surface of her flooded living room. Gregory has captured the living room as a dark and peculiar place, however contrasts with the sunlight bursting through the closed windows. The windows brings that more sinister and eerie look to the photograph. It is an unusual contrast of light and dark.

How? (Compositionally) This photograph follows the rule of leading lines – the staircase and the subject. The photograph is a long shot, meaning that the viewer is able to see where the photograph is set in (a house). How? (Technically) It is correctly exposed, and judging from the image, the camera lens that is fixed on the subject (the woman) is of a small aperture (e. g. f 16).

Comparisons The photograph Ophelia has many links to other artists, such as: Jeff Wall

Comparisons The main similarities in these photographs are that the subject is lying on the floor. Also, the setting are somewhere in their houses (e. g. in a living room, in a kitchen). The atmosphere in these are full of gloominess and creepiness. Another similarity are the windows and the lights present. However, there are different messages being portrayed in the photographs, as one portrays sleep deprivation whereas the other presents death. Also, Ophelia is less exposed compared to Insomnia, which gives different effects to the picture, but still goes well with the atmosphere it portrays. Ophelia Insomnia

Comparisons Other artists are: David Lynch Edward Hopper

Viewer’s perception • The viewer, upon seeing the photo, may feel that this is a very strange and peculiar setting • They may view the flooded living room as blood, and the subject is a corpse • The may also interpret the scene as a murder scene – and the subject was the victim of this murder • It sets a creepy mood, which may make the viewer feel uncomfortable or scared • It leaves the viewer intrigued and confused as to what has REALLY occurred in the photograph, and insecurity as to whether they should believe everything the see in the photo.

Links To Theme It links to theme because: • It relates to life and death • It is supernatural (and what makes it supernatural is the way the subject lies in the pool of water or blood) • The photograph is a mystery – there is an uncertainty and no clarification of what has exactly happened, and how it happened.