Analysis on Gregory Crewdson - Essay Example

Full Analysis on Gregory Crewdson Crewdson’s photograph (wordpress.com) depicts a woman lying flat on the floor, staged for it to appear like it was taken after a flood. As the photographer is a stager, his work is considered a work of art which he deliberately arranged to portray the message of preparation for a new life, fertility and metamorphosis. The theme of the photograph is based on the symbolisms used in the media used to express the artist’s thoughts like flood and water. Flood is understood to be a source of the water that filled the house, reflecting some areas of the house.

The woman being immersed in water is symbolic of her being in the situation of washing away, cleansing or preparation for a new life, therefore having hope as symbolized by water (Fraim). Since flood is a symbol for washing away, this could be interpreted as the woman’s old life being washed away for her to start a new one. This argument could be strengthened by the family photographs as well as other things reflected in the water. They appear to be immersed with the woman so that they can be said to have been put away to the back of the woman’s mind for her to accommodate new ideas and thoughts.

Water is also symbolic of fertility (Fraim) which could be applicable to the interpretation of the meaning of the photograph. Water is life, so they say so that it usually depicts the continuance of life or the beginning of one through the birth of a baby. For Crewdson’s work, the thesis could be strengthened by the presence of a Nora Roberts novel. Books by the aforementioned author are usually romance novels which could explain the thoughts or dreams of the woman in the picture. Since flood can also be symbolic of one’s desires or emotional side of the unconscious (Parker), the photograph also tells the desires of the woman.

The woman portrays someone who is getting ready for a new life, probably getting married or something like it. The transformation of water from its liquid form to gas or to solid is an ancient Greek observation which is reflective of the symbolism of water for metamorphosis. Since the woman is getting a new life, leaving all her past life behind, change is inevitable to her. Her pas tlifestyle will be a lot different than what she will be experiencing so that her character and strength will change as she will be tested with whatever is expected of her coming new life.

The photograph can also mean a resolution for the character where she considers starting anew, putting away her old self to the grave, burying them in the past and allowing the birth of a new self as she changes to another person better than what she had portrayed in her old life. Whatever the real story that was spun in the photographer’s mind, can have all its variations as interpreted by different viewers. One thing is for sure, the photograph speaks of change, new life and hope. Reference Crewdson, Gregory.

Llewis2’s Blog: Just Another Wordpress.com Blog. September, 2010. Web. February 13, 2011. http://llewis2.wordpress.com/2010/09/