Untitled, from the series Beneath the Roses

Gregory Crewdson’s work sets the stage for mysterious stories to unfold as he probes the dark layers of everyday life. This untitled photograph is part of Crewdson’s very still yet vivid series Beneath the Roses, in which broad, desolate streets and banal interiors are theaters for enigmatic suburban scenes. Not only evoking the paintings of Edward Hopper and the photographs of Diane Arbus, Crewdson’s obsessively staged images also bring to mind the world of film—particularly the work of Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch, Douglas Sirk, and Steven Spielberg. Indeed, Crewdson’s process is deeply rooted in the cinema. Beneath the Roses took three years to complete in collaboration with a full production team. His projects are shot both on soundstages and on location and involve extensive post-production, utilizing digital technologies and special effects. Engaging Hollywood and cinematic conventions in this way, Crewdson asks viewers to suspend their disbelief and immerse themselves in his fictions. (“Staged, Performed, Manipulated,” curated by Andrea Inselmann and presented at the Johnson Museum January 24 – June 7, 2015)