SPRING 2011
12
THE PICTURE LIVES:
TABLEAU VIVANT TODAY Tableau vivant, French for “living picture,” is an artistic style that marries the art forms of the theatre, photography and painting. Carefully composed, theatrically lit, yet motionless and silent—these are the hallmarks of the tableau vivant style. In photography the term tableau vivant calls for a staged photograph that can function as a narrative: part theater, part film still, and consistently hyperreal. Tableau vivant photographs frame social interactions while developing characters and raising social
questions—much like a motion picture would. After all, a fundamental and intriguing function of art is the artists’ ability to comment on and address social ills. However, the question begs to be asked: is it really possible for a still photograph to share the same capacity as motion picture in capturing life’s daily complexity? Can character development really be achieved as successfully in one single frame as it can in a moving image? Let’s take for example the photography of Gregory Crewdson in comparison
to a film by Wes Anderson. Both Crewdson and Anderson are known for working in the tableau vivant style, using carefully staged and stylized images to further their message. Crewdson and Anderson both seem to understand quite well that character revelation is the essence of good portraiture. Gregory Crewdson is known for working more like a film director than a photographer— scouting complex locations, employing actors and a full production crew, and developing a complicated postproduction process. It is typical of
GREGORY CREWDSON: Untitled (Sunday Roast)
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