Ophelia

                       The image I have chosen to discuss is Ophelia, by Gregory Crewdson. The reason I have chosen this image to discuss is primarily due to my friend Adria informing me that the four images presented to the majors were the ones we were supposed to discuss, and also because of the image itself was very captivating.

                        The image depicts what seems to be a living room knee deep underwater with a woman lifelessly floating in the center of the room. What’s really interesting about this image however is the color scheme. When looking at the water we see that it is murky and non-transparent.  For me as an individual I find deep water or non-transparent water gives me anxiety and makes me nervous. It’s possibly form the idea that anything could lie beneath. Add onto the fact that a woman is now seemingly dead and floating above it like a goldfish that was underfed gives the water a dark and almost morbid feel to it.

            At the same time, the walls and furniture are almost a jaundice-y yellow color as though they have been rotted away or have begun decomposing. What was once a family home and living room is now rotting and decaying away. The idea of a family home lost.

            But perhaps the most interesting is the look on the woman’s face. She seems almost peaceful in death. It is as if she felt no pain as passed on.  She is also depicted wearing a white nightgown. With this I feel there are many underlying tones that could be drawn.  Perhaps she passed peacefully in her sleep, or maybe this disaster in her home is relaxing. I think all these messages and the aesthetic quality of the image make for a very interesting piece, which is why I chose the image.