All this is celebrated this month not just in the excerpt from prager s film face in the crowd, which is playing at one world trade center, but in a new book, her first monograph, silver lake. Alex prager is an american photographer and filmmaker, born on november 1, 1979. Alex prager is pushing the boundaries of both film and photography with her new series face in the crowd, which features largescale photographs and an. At 60 pages it is filled with full color photographs of elaborately staged crowd scenes with many different characters filling each image. None of the imagery has appeared in any of her previous books and the large format makes this a treat to look at. Alex prager captures the face in the crowd photography agenda. A look inside alex pragers face in the crowd on vimeo. Face in the crowd by booher, kaitlin, banks, elizabeth 2014 hardcover on. The artist who straddles the real and the imagined. Meanwhile check out our forthcoming book photography today which surveys the current state of. Notable recent solo exhibitions include alex prager. At corcoran, alex pragers color photographs of crowds depict detachment in.
Alex prager captures the face in the crowd photography. For each scene, prager taps into a shared cultural memory to create images that are familiar yet. It draws on stan douglass hastings park, 16 july 1955 2008, among other sources, but prager has enlisted a new cast of characters, dressed in 1970s outfits which she selected, and shot the scene in her own signature. Alex prager face in the crowd will open at the national gallery of victoria, australia, november 14, 2014 and with lehmann maupin. The book of disquiet an immoral drama by mercedes helnwein and alex prager jan 1. This book has been published on the occasion of the exhibition alex prager.
Meanwhile check out our forthcoming book photography today which surveys the current state of photography and its most interesting artists through eleven thematic chapters on subjects. You can read our interview with alex here and learn more about the new show at lehmann maupin gallery here. Cindy shermanesque photographs that resemble hyperexquisite, colorsaturated movie stills alex prager now tackles imperfect artifice. 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.
Compulsion at foam museum in 2012 amsterdam, among others. Compulsion in foam in amsterdam and the new photography 2010 at new yorks museum of modern art. A look inside alex pragers face in the crowd directed by jeff vespa produced by bailey reise cinematographer mike windle edited by gary blake music. Face in the crowd, cool hunting, november 27 bates, rebecca. Assembled for twelve largescale color photographs part of a recent exhibition at the corcoran gallery of art, pragers crowds populate not just the. Alex prager draws inspiration from the rich color photography of william eggleston and the southern california moviemaking industry.
Alex prager american, born 1979, a selftaught photographer, takes her cues from pulp fiction, the cinematic conventions of movie directors such as douglas sirk and alfred hitchcock, and fashion photography. Alex prager face in the crowd september guest blogger. Curator kaitlin booher explains works from alex prager. Alex pragers face in the crowd opens at corcoran gallery in washington d. Learn about new offers and get more deals by joining our newsletter. The artists first solo museum exhibition in the united states. Photographer alex prager on her new book silver lake drive. Crowd control the philosophical artist continues her transition to film with a brand new premiere i was traveling more than ever over the past several years.
Alex prager has sought to dissect their power in face in the crowd. Resembling movie stills, her unnerving photographscrisp, boldly colored, shot from unexpected angles, and dramatically litfeature women disguised in wigs, dramatic makeup, and. Pragers series, face in the crowd, debuted at washington d. For each scene, prager taps into a shared cultural memory to create images that are familiar yet strange. Alex pragers 20 exhibition face in the crowd at the corcoran gallery of art in washington, d. Portrait of alex prager at lehmann maupin gallery, 2014, by ilya savenokgetty images. Dakota fine this saturday, corcoran will open doors to alex pragers first ever solo museum show face in the crowd and you should run, not walk to it. Photographer and filmmaker alex prager makes art that is shallow by design. The artist directed hundreds of actors on constructed sets to create portraits of large crowds at airport terminals, lobbies, beaches, movie theatres and other public spaces. If you are a fan of alex prager then this limited edition book is a musthave for the collection. Face in the crowd is on view at lehmann maupin gallery in new york both in chelsea and the l. How photographer alex prager creates her cinematic. 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. This years series face in the crowd debuts at corcoran gallery of art, washington dc, and sees pragers vision expand.
Alex pragers new exhibition face in the crowd at the. And yet, it captures the lucid moments of humanity found only in the most candid of photography. Alex prager face in the crowd by alex prager, 9780615901749, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Courtesy of alex prager studio and lehmann maupin, new york and hong kong since the beginning, ive always been building my own sets and props. Face in the crowd a look behind the complex scenes in the pioneering photographers major museum exhibition in washington, dc william eggleston fine art photography street photography popular photography contemporary photography photography books heart photography conceptual photography creative photography. Face in the crowd wasnt published by a major book publisher and is more of an art collectible or artists book but worth seeking out if you are an alex prager fan. For ten years, prager has staged imaginary scenes for her cameradream worlds in technicolor, rife with tension and. Alex prager bio, fact affair, boyfriend, married, spouse. Silver lake drive introduction by michael govan, essays by michael mansfield, clare grafik and interview by nathalie herschdorfer. Alex prager, double take michael govan interview with alex prager nathalie herschdorger face in the crowd clare grafik pretend to pretend in the art of appearances michael mansfield. Face in the crowd features large photographs of directed crowds on specially designed sets. Photographer alex prager on her new book silver lake drive and.
Face in the crowd is on view through december 9, 2014, at corcoran gallery of art in washington, d. An exhibition of her face in the crowd series is currently on view at. Alex prager is one of the truly original image makers of our time. Discover book depositorys huge selection of alex prager books online. She is also known in the world for her photo graphical works like the book of disquiet, polyester and many more.
How photographer alex prager creates her cinematic images artsy. The book showcases pragers work staging and photographing crowds to create portraits that mirror hollywood film stills. Alex prager is pushing the boundaries of both film and photography with her new series face in the crowd, which features largescale photographs and an immersive, threechannel video installation. Face in the crowd, pragers first solo museum show in the united states, presents her latest body of work by the same title. Alex prager created for her first american museum show at the corcoran gallery of art in 20, alex pragers face in the crowd series presents a manufactured reality filled with fictional characters, capturing the ambiguous experience of a crowded space. Clare grafik silver lake drive, 2018 alex prager studio. Face in the crowd is on view at the corcoran gallery of art from nov. Photographing and filming simultaneously in four studios with several sets, including a. Face in the crowd at the corcoran gallery of art in washington, d.
Face in the crowd text by kaitlin booher and elizabeth banks features the glossy, cinematic photography for which prager is so well known. Published for an exhibition at the corcoran gallery of art, face in the crowd features portraits of large crowds at airport terminals, beaches, movie theaters and other public spaces. Face in the crowd, organized by the corcoran gallery of art in washington, d. An immoral drama, a collaborative exploration of the seven deadly sins by alex prager and mercedes helnwein. Face in the crowd at the corcoran gallery of art in 20 washington, d. Silver lake drive showcases pragers boldest creations to date.
Photography books, coffee table photo books, contemporary art books. Alex prager dreamed to be the photographer since her childhood days and she actually kind of fulfilled this at her young age. Faces in the crowd, has a detached, dreamlike quality, the. 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. Dec 11, 2014 alex prager is an american photographer and filmmaker, born on november 1, 1979. As pragers most ambitious and complex series to date, face in the crowd features largescale photographs of people assembled in congested public spaces such as an airport terminal, lobby, beach, and movie theater. All this is celebrated this month not just in the excerpt from pragers film face in the crowd, which is playing at one world trade center, but in a. Published in 2005, the project presents seven works by each artist, meant to represent and confound our understandings of biblical evil.
Jan 10, 2014 face in the crowd is on view at lehmann maupin gallery in new york both in chelsea and the l. This book from 20 is an essential collectable for pragers fans. A selftaught artist, alex prager creates psychologically charged photographs and films that recall street photography and hollywood movies. Prager was commissioned by the paris opera in 2015 to create a film for 3e scene. Comparing prices for alex prager face in the crowd. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Alex prager face in the crowd will open at the national gallery of victoria, australia, november 14, 2014 and with lehmann maupin gallery, hong kong, march 12, 2015.
615 215 402 318 1504 1251 19 16 822 893 1512 561 247 1187 412 1481 1221 56 466 1243 859 596 1269 483 407 826 1078 141 781 1424 14 1043 125 685 239