Bellville, Illinois-based singer-songwriter, musician and frontman of alternative rock band Wilco, Jeff Tweedy, recently took part of soundtracking a new video that accompanies the 2020 collection of photography by Gregory Crewdson entitled, An Eclipse of Moths. As previously reported in Pitchfork, “Crewdson’s An Eclipse of Moths debuted this week at the Gagosian in Los Angeles. The collection is showing until November 21.”
In the video, Crewdson captures photos that convey desperation and anxiety in relation to society in the backdrop of a decaying industrialization landscape. The images show a scene of isolation, as its focal point is in the view of one to two people depicted in each image. The collection of photography is captivatingly exhibited to a thematic soundtrack provided by Tweedy. The piece of music that accompanies the video is harrowingly entrancing, with its stripped back melancholic production. From the outset of the opening credits to the video, the reverberating bass strings followed by slow staccato percussion help propel the story Crewdson is telling in the photos. Both artists help the viewer place themselves in the shoes of one of the people in each photo, making it a transformative experience. Hauntingly told, An Eclipse of Moths is a slice of modern Americana. Watch Crewdson’s An Eclipse of Moths stream below, via YouTube.
Along with the video collaboration, Tweedy also contributed to writing for a limited-edition book of An Eclipse of Moths that is made available via Aperture, that can be found on Amazon. According to the above source, Crewdson spoke on the genesis of his latest project An Eclipse of Moths, in a statement saying:
These pictures are a meditation on brokenness, a search, a longing, and a yearning for meaning and transcendence. The figures are surrounded by vast decaying industrial landscapes and the impinging nature—and there’s a certain underlying suggestion of anxiety. But I hope in the end the theme of nature persisting, and of figures seeking out light, offers hope for renewal, even redemption.
As of late, Tweedy is readying the release of his latest fourth full-length solo studio album, Love Is the King, via dBpm Records. As previously reported, here on mxdwn, “Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy recently held live stream with his wife and sons, Susie, Spencer and Sammy, for an Instagram Live event called ‘The Tweedy Show.’ This family segment featured a number of covers, as the family tackled songs by Link Wray, Neil Young, My Bloody Valentine, and Arthur Russell.”
Photo credit: Alyssa Fried
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