"Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera" takes a look at Rockwell's meticulous use of reference photography in constructing his highly detailed illustrations. Based on author Ron Schick's book of the same title (Little Brown), the exhibition pairs the artist’s photographs with original artwork to reveal, frame-by-frame, the creation of the artist’s iconic paintings. The exhibition will be on view at Norman Rockwell Museum through May 31, 2010. Image credit: "After the Prom" (detail), Norman Rockwell, 1957. Photo by Bill Scovill. Licensed by Norman Rockwell Licensing, Niles, IL.

Gregory Crewdson received a B.A. from the State University of New York at Purchase in 1985 and an M.F.A. in photography from Yale in 1988. He has exhibited widely in the United States and Europe, and is represented by Luhring Augustine Gallery in New York City. His work has been included in many public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Like Norman Rockwell, Gregory Crewdson makes use of the Berkshires' unique landscape and inhabitants to create his imaginative works. Crewdson's family has long owned a cabin in the woods in this culturally-rich region of Western Massachusetts; Rockwell lived in the town of Stockbridge from 1955 to 1978, and went on to create many iconic works, including "Main Street Stockbridge at Christmas." Watch Gregory Crewdson on location in downtown Pittsfield in this Ovation TV video profile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RywAfP4KFcY&feature=fvw --

Gregory Crewdson's talk at Norman Rockwell Museum was presented as part of The Artist & The Photograph: Contemporary Perspectives," a lecture series exploring contemporary pathways in photography. Further events will be presented in conjunction with "Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera," including an evening discussion with author David Kamp on Saturday, May 29. A contributing editor at "Vanity Fair," Kamp's commentary on Norman Rockwell and the exhibition appeared in the magazine's November 2009 issue.