Gregory Crewdson

I was inspired by Gregory Crewdson and his take on mixing photography and cinematography. Being a huge Tim Burton fan I see the same qualities in Crewdson's work that I love about Tim Burton. The intense imagery mixing the comfortable with the reality of the uncomfortable. I went on an internet hunt searching for more of his work after class and I am so glad that I was exposed to his work. Crewdson really make me rethink all the things that I thought brought value to a photograph or a shot in a movie.

Gregory Crewdson

Gregory Crewdson is an artist that goes beyond beauty. Yes, his photographs must be beautiful but, he is looking for that underlying edge – whether it is anxiety, fear, or isolation. Crewdson is a leader in the use of staged events and constructed models in his photography. He uses these big stages to conduct these moments in the narrative, he likes that a photograph restricts him to only capture one moment of the story. His photos encourage the viewers to imagine and wonder that has just happened and what is coming next. I like that all of his pictures are rich with color; there are so many different aspects to the photograph that your eye has to wander the whole image. Crewdson is very aware of every inch of his photograph which makes these images so interesting and beautiful.

- Racheal Johnson-

Gregory Crewdson

I, like others, am intrigued by Gregory Crewdson. I think what captivates my attention the most about Crewdson is the amount of money he spends on his work. In the movie we watched in class it was mentioned that one of his pieces cost one million dollars to produce. I do think he takes amazing pictures but for that cost I do not think they are striking enough. It is true that he can capture a mood that is heavy and sad. Looking at the picture I have attached here, it is gloomy and depressing. It is a picture that I can't look at for too long without feeling dark and anxious.
-Laura LaVergne

Mid-term response: Gilbert and George

For my mid-term response I decided to focus on the art couple Gilbert and George. In chapter 4 the two artists were briefly touched on and their piece Cool that was a part of their Perversive Pictures exhibition. Cool can be found on pages 194-195 in the class book. In their galleries they have many manipulated photos with hip hop culture being their main influence. Gilbert and George are known to provoke outrage and create photos that confront human issues from daily struggles. The photo I have included in this blog is called The Wall and was created in 1986.
-Laura LaVergne

Gregory Crewdson

I really liked Gregory Crewdson's work. I think that the way the he captures stillness and time is amazing. All of his images that I saw were very visually appealing even if they may have been dark subject matter. The was he stages his photos are so perfect, every person is in their specified location and the light works with them so well. The sense of mystery and beauty he portrays is so captivating.

Midterm Response: Oliver Herring

I particularly liked the work of German artist, Oliver Herring. I especially like is sculpture of Gloria  (2004). He asked his friends to pose for him and give the sculptures the title of their first names. "Among his early works were his woven sculptures and performance pieces in which he knitted Mylar, a transparent and reflective material, into human figures, clothing, and furniture" (art:21). 

When I first saw this image in the textbook, I didn't realize it was actually a sculpture. It first caught my eye because I couldn't tell what it was made of/with.

Mayra

Video Response: Wall, Crewdson, Baldessari

Of the three artists we looked at in class, my favorite was John Baldessari, mostly because some of his work was pretty humorous. 

But to be honest, I don't consider much of these artists' work 'art'. Personally, I just don't like nude photographs, it's almost too real for me; it's not necessarily pretty to look at. 

What stood out the most to me about Baldessari's work is that in some instances, he didn't need any images to convey a message, sometimes art can be just words. 

But shouldn't there maybe be some kind of guidelines as to what is considered art?

Mayra