Untitled (Beneath the Roses) by Gregory Cewdson

This is definitely my favorite Crewdson piece. I love that he depicts a situation for the onlooker to create a story. In earlier art courses a professor once told me that alot of symbols carry bagage, or an association with something that almost cheapens their meaning. I like that when I looked at this piece the red roses were not the first thing to catch my eye. They're used in such away that the 'bagage' if you will, does not speak for the entire piece. My first thought is not about Valentines day, or the overrated symbol of love. When I look at this I'm so engrossed by its intricacy and detail that the roses are not drowning out the rest of the work with they're symbolic associations. He uses the roses as a component of the piece, and they don't over power it. I applaud and admire him for this.