Crewdson explored the idea of challenging tradition with experimentation of his title outside of the U.S. at the abandoned Cinecittá studios outside of Rome. Known for its mysterious stillness and emptied character, the set was new to Crewdson's typical use of subject and storyline but reflected the same balance and organic nature of a created set turned into an art piece. The simplicity of "Sanctuary"’s development contrasts Gregory's tendency for detail and specificity evoking a more compelling landscape that was already created for him and caught the attention of White Cube, Crewdson's European agent in London. By converting these cinematic scenes into ordinary life, he explores a new and unfamiliar genre of his own focused on naturalizing a manmade scenario in a world already based on the artifice of American lifestyles.