A wonderfully bold transformation from Gregory Crewdson

Rome’s legendary Cinecittà (cinema city), synonymous with the films of Fellini and Rossellini, today lies silent and empty, abandoned to nature and decay. But the fragile houses, villas, churches and occasional boat on the vast site possess a decadent beauty. That was a lure for leading American photographer Gregory Crewdson, for whom cinema played a major part in his choreographed scenarios set in suburban American streets.

He now introduces 41 images photographed in Cinecittà and all medium-format, black and white, and lacking in human presence. In most respects, then, they diverge from the previously large, colourful scenes peopled by mysterious characters in cinematic vignettes. Crewdson moves through empty streets, along narrow alleys, past the broken-down warehouse used in Scorsese’s Gangs of New York, and previously complex narratives are reduced to the buildings themselves.

Working mostly with natural light, he does introduce subtle illuminations through doorways and windows, but the greatest change is his replacement of colour with a myriad grey tones and scatterings of black which contribute overall dustiness to the cool effect.

Towards the end of the series, Crewdson broadens his context, taking long shots across Cinecittà roof-tops onto Rome’s suburban apartment blocks which overlook the ghost town. And to close, he returns to old habits, photographing the security guard in her stark office, simply illuminated but with a mysterious, robotic air.

A wonderfully bold transformation and an appropriate change of direction.

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Gregory Crewdson
White Cube
Mason's Yard
SW1