Pittsfield To Serve As Backdrop For Photography Project
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Sections of the city will be closed off the week of the 17th for photo shoots by photographer Gregory Crewdson.
Crewdson will be taking a series of still images using Pittsfield as the setting.
On Wednesday, July 17, Kellogg Street between Parker and Plunkett Streets will be shut down the Fire Department is putting on a controlled burn to be featured in the photograph.
On Friday, July 20 the film crew will move to Silver Lake Boulevard, at the corner of Fourth Street, for photos featuring actions in police and fire uniforms, and several emergency vehicles.
And on Sunday, July 22, the photos will be shot at the intersection of Fourth and Fenn. Five other shoots will occur at a private location.
"Do not mow" signs have been posted in some areas to prepare for the shoot.
"We are thrilled world-renowned photographer Gregory Crewdson has chosen to return to the City of Pittsfield for his latest photography project this summer. His masterful creations reflect a keen eye for finding beauty and wonder, in all of its complexities, all around us. We look forward to seeing his vision on display," Mayor Linda Tyer said last month when Crewdson chose downtown Pittsfield as the location for his next project.
"In addition to the great work that will come from this project, it’s important to recognize the energy and excitement that the photoshoots will add to our downtown, as well as increased patronage for our local businesses. It’s a win-win for our city."
Crewdson is originally from Brooklyn and later moved to the Berkshires. He has had a lengthy history with the local art scene in the Berkshires, including being a board member at Mass MoCA. His large-scale photographs have been displayed in museums throughout the world including the Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Brooklyn Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Crewdson held a casting call at the end of June looking for local actors to be featured in the photographs.
In 2008, Crewdson used Pittsfield as a backdrop for his "Beneath the Roses" series, of which the elements of the making of that series were included in a 2012 documentary "Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters” by Ben Shapiro, which chronicled Crewdson's life and working process.
"Pittsfield offers the perfect backdrop for my work," Crewdson said. "There’s a beautiful intersection of nature and industry here, and in certain neighborhoods, the feeling of existing just outside of time. I’m interested in looking at seemingly ordinary and familiar situations and finding a sense of mystery and beauty through the use of light and color."
