Alex Prager
This draft has information that is not in the article and should be added to the article. Please compare and combine the draft and the article. You may ask for advice about comparing and combining a draft and an article at the Teahouse. Robert McClenon (talk) 05:07, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
Script error: No such module "Draft topics".
Script error: No such module "AfC topic".
| Alex Prager | |
|---|---|
 Alex Prager, 2023.jpg Alex Prager, 2023. | |
| Born | 1979 (age 44–45) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| 🏳️ Nationality | American |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Known for | Photography, Filmmaking |
| 🏅 Awards |
|
| 🌐 Website | www |
Search Alex Prager on Amazon.
Born in 1979, Alex Prager is an American artist, director, and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. Prager is known for her highly staged images and films that blur the line between artifice and reality.[1][2]
Early life[edit]
Prager was born in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1979. At age fourteen, she dropped out of school and traveled to Switzerland on her own, where she worked at a knife store in Lucerne. She returned to Switzerland frequently for longer periods and earned her G.E.D at sixteen.[3]
At twenty-one, Prager was inspired to pursue photography after seeing an exhibition of William Eggleston’s photographs at the Getty Museum. A self-taught artist, Prager avoided formal art education and instead purchased a Nikon N90s camera and printed photographs in a home darkroom.[3][4]
Artwork[edit]
Prager’s work is characterized by distinctive mise-en-scène, ambiguous narratives, and highly staged scenes with unique characters, timeless costumes, and saturated colors.[5][6] Her work is notably influenced by golden-era period styles like film noir and Technicolor, mythology, and works by Dutch Renaissance painters.[4][7][8]
Prager uses symbolism, humor, allegory, and surreal elements to evoke psychological responses and explore the human experience.[1] She approaches each project as a reflection of her personal questions and those of greater society.[9]
Early Work[edit]
Prager’s early series, Polyester (2007), Big Valley (2008), and Week-End (2009), feature female protagonists against a Los Angeles backdrop.[10] [7]
Career[edit]
In 2008, Prager transitioned into filmmaking after her exhibition The Big Valley in London.[11]
Prager’s first short film, "Despair" (2010) starring Bryce Dallas Howard, was included in the New Photography 2010 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, a breakthrough in her career.[12] [4]
In 2012, Prager exhibited Compulsion, a series investigating the complexity of observation and compulsive spectatorship.[7] The series included the short film "La Petite Mort" (2012) starring Judith Godrèche and narrated by Gary Oldman.[2]
In 2013, Prager’s first solo museum exhibition, Face in the Crowd, was presented at the Corcoran Gallery of Art.[13]
In 2015, the Paris Opera commissioned Prager to create a film for 3e Scène, alongside the photographic series La Grande Sortie.[14]
In 2019, Prager exhibited "Play the Wind" (2019), an autobiographical body of work reflecting on Los Angeles.[15]
Prager’s work has been exhibited globally, including at the Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Victoria, Fotografiska, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Recent Work[edit]
Prager’s recent work includes Part One: The Mountain (2021) and Part Two: Run (2022), exploring themes of anxiety and isolation.[16]
Film[edit]
Prager's films are psychological thrillers touching on horror, isolation, and fear.[17][18] Her work is characterized by depictions of artifice and the need for connection, often incorporating humor.[19]
Notable collaborations include Matthew Libatique and actors like Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt, and Elizabeth Banks.
Prager’s short film "Face in the Crowd" (2013) screened at the New Directors/New Films Festival at Lincoln Center and MoMA in 2014.[20]
Her most recent short film, "Run" (2022), premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and was nominated for the 2023 SXSW Grand Jury Award.[21]
In 2023, Prager was named one of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film" by Filmmaker Magazine.[22]
Prager is currently working on her debut feature film, DreamQuil, a cautionary tale about identity, automation, and humanity set in the near distant future. The film is co-written with her sister, Vanessa Prager, and will star Elizabeth Banks and John C. Reilly.[23]
Commercial Work[edit]
Prager has been commissioned by luxury brands and publications such as Vogue, New York Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, W Magazine, Garage, Bottega Veneta, Dior, Hermés, Tiffany, and Lavazza.
She has directed commercials for international brands including Apple, Hermés, Miller, Anheuser-Busch, Vimeo, and Cartier, featuring Elle Fanning, in 2023.[24]
Reception[edit]
Prager's work is often discussed in connection to Los Angeles.[3]
Michael Govan, the director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, has highlighted Prager's ability to reveal the extraordinary within the ordinary.[5] Emily Witt, a journalist and staff writer for the New Yorker, wrote that Prager creates a neo-noir L.A. vernacular that evokes the past without historical accuracy.[3]
Michael Mansfield, the former Curator for Film and Media Art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, noted Prager’s mastery of both photography and film.[2]
Prager's crowd photographs are among her most well-known works.[8][25]
Art historian and curator William J Simmons connected Prager’s crowds to democratic studies of class and labor, highlighting their social commentary.[26]
Publications[edit]
- Polyester, Alex Prager Studio. 2007. ASIN B001IYHQAE.
- The Big Valley / Week-end, M+B and Yancey Richardson Gallery. 2010. ISBN 0615339182 Search this book on ..
- Compulsion, Michael Hoppen Gallery. 2012. ISBN 0615613055 Search this book on ..
- Face in the Crowd, Corcoran. 2013. ISBN 0615901743 Search this book on ..
- La Grande Sortie, Lehmann Maupin. 2016. ISBN 9780692763025 Search this book on ..
- Alex Prager: Silver Lake Drive, Thames & Hudson. 2018. ISBN 0500544972 Search this book on ..
- Farewell, Work Holiday Parties Brochure, Los Angeles County Museum of Art & Alex Prager Studio. 2020.
- Alex Prager 2022 Catalog, Alex Prager Studio. 2022. ISBN 9798218106584 Search this book on ..
Films[edit]
- Despair (2010) – starring Bryce Dallas Howard [12]
- Touch of Evil (2011) – for The New York Times Magazine[27]
- La Petite Mort (2012) – starring Judith Godreche, Gary Oldman [2]
- Face in the Crowd (2013) – starring Elizabeth Banks [13]
- La Grande Sortie (2015) – starring Emilie Cozette, Karl Paquette <ref
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Booher, Kaitlin (2014). "Crowd Source: Scenes by Alex Prager". Alex Prager: Face in the Crowd. LEHMANN MAUPIN/M+B GALLERY. pp. 27–30. ISBN 9780615901749. Search this book on
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Mansfield, Michael (2018). "Pretend to Pretend in the Art of Appearances". Alex Prager: Silver Lake Drive. Chronicle Books. pp. 146–157. ISBN 9781452171579. Search this book on
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Witt, Emily (September 9, 2019). "Los Angeles Dreaming". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bengal, Rebecca (July 12, 2018). "The Threat of Being Seen". Aperture. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Govan, Michael (2018). "Alex Prager, Double Take". Alex Prager: Silver Lake Drive. Chronicle Books. pp. 12–15. ISBN 9781452171579. Search this book on
- ↑ Homes, A. M. (September 2010). "UNEASY PIECES". Vanity Fair | The Complete Archive. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Zellen, Jody (2012-09-01). "Symptomatic Gaze". Afterimage. 40 (2): 31–33. doi:10.1525/aft.2012.40.2.31. ISSN 0300-7472.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 O'Regan, Kathryn (June 25, 2018). "Alex Prager's unsettling retelling of the American dream". SLEEK Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
- ↑ Williams, Megan (January 21, 2022). "Alex Prager's carefully controlled photos visualise two uncontrollable years". Creative Review. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
- ↑ Lloyd Smith, Harriet (January 14, 2010). "Week-end by Alex Prager, NY". Wallpaper Magazine. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
- ↑ "Alex Prager | Widewalls". www.widewalls.ch. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 O'Neill, Claire (August 26, 2010). "Out With The Old And In With The Old-Inspired: Fresh Photos At MoMA". NPR. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Boyle, Katherine (November 22, 2013). "At Corcoran, Alex Prager's color photographs of crowds depict detachment in togetherness". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
- ↑ Wilkinson, Isabel (2016-09-08). "An Artist's Haunting Fantasy of the Paris Opera Ballet". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ↑ Hagberg, Eva (2019-09-09). "Alex Prager takes us on a dystopian ride through her native Los Angeles". wallpaper.com. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ↑ Solomon, Tessa (2022-01-21). "In a New Portrait Series, Alex Prager Takes Her Camera to the Mountains". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:10 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:11 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:9 - ↑ Indiewire (2014-02-20). "New Directors/New Films Sets 2014 Lineup, Including 'A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night,' 'The Babadook' and 'Obvious Child'". IndieWire. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ↑ Meares, Hadley (2023-03-14). "Alex Prager on Her SXSW Debut and Prepping Her First Feature Film with Elizabeth Banks' Brownstone Productions". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ↑ "25 New Faces of Independent Film 2023 | Filmmaker Magazine". Filmmaker Magazine | Publication with a focus on independent film, offering articles, links, and resources. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (2023-05-11). "Elizabeth Banks & John C. Reilly To Lead Timely AI Thriller 'Dreamquil'; HanWay, UTA & CAA Launch Sales For Cannes". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ↑ Jameson, Daniel (2023-06-28). "Cartier Digs Into Its Archives to Reimagine a Coveted Classic Collection With an Unlikely Coffee Bean Inspiration". Artnet News. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:13 - ↑ Simmons, William J. (2022). "Alex Prager". 12th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ↑ "Alex Prager directs Touch of Evil". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
