Slideshow Response
As I was viewing the different photographs in the slideshow, one in particular really stood out to me, called, "Beneath the Roses" by Gregory Crewdson. At first, when I saw it, I was immediately pulled to the vibrant colors and an almost unsettling atmosphere. But as I took the photo and zoomed in on key details, it hit me that this isn't just a photograph, it's someone's life, only portrayed in photograph form. We all have such different lives that it's IMPOSSIBLE, that at least one person in the world couldn't relate to that exact scenario in the photo. First, we have a mother intensely staring at the bleeding roast set near the edge of the table. I believe that the placing of the roast was very intentional, though to some it would go unnoticed. The bleeding roast could be the mother's bleeding heart, suggesting she is in pain. The placing of the roast could show how close the mother is to falling off the edge. Notice how the roast and mother are dressed in red...
The son stares blankly with little to no emotion, yet seems to be pondering something of importance. Then we look to the left to see a chair. Again, PLACEMENT! It looks as though someone was sitting there before and left before the meal begun. The other chair, sits perfectly aligned to the table, indicating that the father (who is usually head of the table) never arrived.
It's also very interesting how Crewdson shot the photo as room, within a room, within another room. Likely seems large from the outside, but what's going on in the inside is what really matters.
Even the title of the piece, "Beneath the Roses" speaks to the meaning. Red roses specifically are usually given to loved ones, so if we apply that to the title, love seems to be deeper and more complicated then imagined. Another take on the title is that the roses aren't really red at all, they are white. White roses are used commonly at funerals for mourning. But not only that, it could be more literal too. The father could've passed away and his body lies 'beneath the roses'. That also can explain why they have set out a plate for him at dinner, they may not be ready to accept what has happened, a way of coping.
Overall, this photograph is stunning not only in composition but meaning and interpretation.
Great breakdown here, Christa! You seem to be tapping into the potentiality with which Crewdson imbues his images. It's true, one cannot avoid the compositional rigor of these works: the tension created by an object too close the edge of a surface; the frames within frames; the hyperreal lighting that seems to illuminate every detail of a brief moment in time. I encourage you to look at this whole series of images, as they all seem loaded with compositional rhythms and conceptual/narrative implications. Perhaps loading your image composite with symbolic elements and compositional choices would be a strong approach for your work? Great to get some additional thoughts here on the blog, even when a response is not assigned.
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