Product Description

"Beneath the Roses" contains the complete set of images from Gregory Crewdson's new series of photographs, made between 2003 and 2007. As in his earlier "Twilight" series, each elaborately choreographed image depicts an emotionally heightened moment in which something very important (although we never quite know what) seems to have happened or is about to happen. Like film stills from unmade movies, these photographs portray mysterious unknowable stories which are reduced to a single, static, highly charged image. This book also includes source materials, production photographs, lighting charts, sketches and architectural plans, which give the viewer a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of his elaborately staged photographs.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12331 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 140 pages

About the Author
Gregory Crewdson is an internationally exhibited artist whose work has recently been shown in New York, Los Angeles, Germany, London, France and Tokyo. His photographs are also the subject of the book Twilight. He teaches at Yale University School of Art in the Department of Photography and lives in the USA. Russell Banks is an award winning writer. His works of fiction include Affliction, The Sweet Hereafter, Rule of the Bone and others. He has also contributed poems, stories and essays to various publications and magazines including Vanity Fair and Esquire. He lives in the USA.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant book
I love this book i think that the images draw your attention and captures your imagination straight away. The way in which he takes the images are unique, almost like film stills, the lighting, colours and overall subtle narrative give an abandond feel as if something has happend or taken over. The charactors look dispondent they each draw you in to look at the details clueing together the pieces. I love the overall theme of his work although similar to earlier book 'twilight' the book is worth buying it is quite big which i love as big images absorb you all the more. His twilight scenes and interesting lighting techniques it what made Gregory Crewdson one of my favourite photographers.

More stunning stills from a great photographer
After researching Gregory Crewdson in University I became hooked on his photography. His images have this awe about them. Seemingly just ordinary photographs, but when you study each still you notice minute details that when brought together form elaborate yet magical scenes. When you read about how much thought, effort and money goes into creating each single frame, you begin to appreciate his brilliance.

This book is quite large, but that just means you get to see every frame in detail, and with 140 pages, the price makes this a bargain.

This book is great for anyone who appreciates imagery and is recommended 100%.

Bit repetitive
The craftsmanship of the images is immaculate, but the subject matter is a tad over-familiar to followers of Crewdson's work. Some of the tableaux don't seem to go much beyond lazy shorthand of the dark underbelly of Americana, a la Twin Peaks.

The reproductions are a little flat in comparison to the exhibition prints I saw at White Cube.

There is a behind the scenes section at the back of the book that throws light on Crewdson's working method and the sheer logistic achievement involved in the creation of these images.

Overall, I rate the anthology of his ouevre much more than this tome, as ideas behind the photos are a bit stale comparatively.