Prager, on the other hand, creates her own heightened, dreamlike. Its a high honour for any artist to achieve a midcareer retrospective, one alex affably describes as very surreal but completely deserved. Jun 14, 2018 alex prager is one of the truly original image makers of our time. The present lot comes from one of alex pragers first series the book of disquiet. Learn more about the piece and artist, and its final selling price.
Prager creates images of things that never happened, a world that never was, but at the same time is very familiar we have been here before. Prager is among four photographers to be featured in new photography 2010, opening in new yorks museum of modern art. In 2005, prager created a group of works, the book of disquiet, as an exhibition and joint publication with artist mercedes helnwein. Silver lake drive is a major new exhibition marking the first midcareer survey of american photographer and filmmaker, alex prager b. Alex prager is one of the truly original image makers of our time. Prager s interest in art began in her adolescence, but it was in. We cant look away when theres an accident on the side of the freeway everyone slows down and looks but nobody helps. Pragers growing filmography expands the fictive realities of her still works. Working fluidly between photography and film, she creates largescale projects that combine elaborately built sets, highly staged, complex performances and a hollywood aesthetic to produce still and moving images that are familiar yet strange, utterly compelling and unerringly memorable. Seven works by alex prager will feature in state of the art new contemporary photography, at nrwforum in dusseldorf, germany, opening february 4, in conjunction with the release of a book of the same title published by feymedia for international distribution. It just made a lot of sense when i started thinking about all the reasons and my book needed a name. Apr 21, 2012 compulsion by alex prager is the photographers latest collection of pictures currently on display at the michael hoppen gallery.
Alex prager studio and lehmann maupin, new york and hong kong i n 1976, tish murtha successfully applied for a place on the fledgling documentary photography course. Alex prager, compulsion is at michael hoppen contemporary until may. This exhibition includes pictures from alex pragers key photographic series, as well as from four films. Fashion film by alex prager featuring bryce dallas howard one of diane pernets top 10 fashion films. Her photographs primarily use staged actors, models and extras to create meticulously designed mise en scene, often described as filmlike and hyperreal. Alex prager, whose work has appeared in the times magazine, has a new mustsee exhibition. And yet, it captures the lucid moments of humanity found only in the most candid of photography. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. B oth stan douglas and alex prager make elaborately staged photographs that look like film stills. She began to gain more attention after exhibiting polyester in 2007, which focused on southern california and portraits of various women and girls. She is a selftaught photographer who staged sets and models to. Apr 20, 2012 alex pragers images remind us of the extent to which contemporary photography is occupied with capturing preexisting reality.
May 19, 2012 seven works by alex prager will feature in state of the art new contemporary photography, at nrwforum in dusseldorf, germany, opening february 4, in conjunction with the release of a book of the same title published by feymedia for international distribution. She is a selftaught photographer who staged sets and models to create filmlike images that invite a myriad references, not only to the history of hollywood and photography, but also the cinematic image in art contexts. Seven years later, prager returns to foam with an exhibition entitled silver lake drive, in which she unites ten years of her photographic and film. Explored in the films and books of david lynch, james ellroy and. Alex prager shows the cinematic surrealism of everyday. Beautiful photographic work of alex prager from 2012, published in a limited edition of 1200 copies. Courtesy alex prager studio and lehmann maupin, new york, hong kong, and. The website is currently running in a viewonly mode to allow archiving of the content. An immoral drama, a collaborative exploration of the seven deadly sins by alex prager and mercedes helnwein.
She is known for intricately staged works that draw on the drama of midcentury hollywood films to explore uncanny elements of individual and social experience. The little death of alex prager photography agenda phaidon. Some light rubbing and wear to surface of cover and edges, otherwise near fine. Compulsion presents a complete series of color photographs by contemporary photographer alex prager. For ten years, prager has staged imaginary scenes for her cameradream worlds in technicolor, rife with tension and. The installation features captures of stylistically surreal tragic events and closeup images of eyes. Her nomadic upbringing saw her splitting time between florida, california and switzerland without truly settling down long enough for a formal education. Apr 18, 2012 alex prager, whose work has appeared in the times magazine, has a new mustsee exhibition. Apr 21, 2012 b oth stan douglas and alex prager make elaborately staged photographs that look like film stills. The book is in full color and presents compelling scenes of peril that we as viewers are often intrigued by.
Alex prager s first solo museum show is on display at foam fotografiemuseum amsterdam through october 14, 2012. Prager was the 2012 winner of the foam paul huf award, a prize organized by the museum and awarded annually to a young photographer. Pragers interest in art began in her adolescence, but it was in. Published in 2005, the project presents seven works by each artist, meant to represent and confound our understandings of biblical evil. Alex prager stages a cinematic tale of death and compulsion in.
Her work consists of elaborately staged scenes that draw inspiration from a wide range of influences and references, including hollywood cinema, experimental films, popular culture, and street photography. Multimedia art museum, moscow presents compulsion, an exhibition by the american artist alex prager. Alex pragers first solo museum show is on display at foam fotografiemuseum amsterdam through october 14, 2012. Alex prager compulsion the control of an imagined world artlyst. The main idea behind the title of the series was to show the spectators compulsion to watch disaster, rather than act. As with the artists previous work, all the image are. Alex prager the first thing that came to mind when i saw alex pragers photography, was hitchcock. Compulsion alex prager exhibitions yancey richardson. Alex prager susie and friends 2008 show more results licensing if you would like to reproduce an image of a work of art in momas collection. Compulsion by alex prager is the photographers latest collection of pictures currently on display at the michael hoppen gallery. She is a selftaught photographer who staged sets and models to create filmlike images that invite a myriad references, not only to the history of hollywood and photography, but also the cinematic image in. Compulsion alex pragers new series investigates the complexity of observation within a society inundated by compulsive spectators, as well as the recurrent discourse in. I was inspired by the drama and nostalgia in alex pragers photos.
To emphasize her uniqueness, i decided to create a different kind of artist catalog, with a portfolio and three books, to give it a feeling of importance and to set it apart from the runofthemill coffee table book. Multimedia art museum, moscow alex prager compulsion. They are staged photographs in a retroalfred hitcock movie style with lots. Available for sale from yancey richardson gallery, alex prager, 4. Compulsion 9780615655 and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Compulsion, showing at the yancey richardson gallery in new york. Alex prager compulsion the control of an imagined world. Working fluidly between photography and film she creates elaborate scenes that reference a wide range of influences, including hollywood and experimental cinema, popular culture and street photography. She combed yard sales, libraries, and thrift stores, finding books that. Alex pragers new work, compulsion, showing simultaneously in new.
1391 29 88 1411 477 10 1010 296 977 588 1460 428 485 969 1310 781 482 404 545 1198 97 1236 43 124 861 936 47 725 375 713 730 246 920 348 1458 1374 657 1488 855 971 1257 733 1382 798 1048 263 410 184