After receiving the Foam Paul Huf award in 2012, photographer and filmmaker Alex Prager is having her second exhibition at Foam Amsterdam. However, this is the first time her show presents a retrospective spanning all her career and work (both photo and film). On view until September 4 and titled Silver Lake Drive, the solo show contains a compilation of her many distinctive and cinematic photo series and films.
Prager grew up in the booming city of Los Angeles and, like many artists, her home has inspired her work greatly. Her creative eye has produced very sentimental pieces and through many different styles and themes, Prager was able to launch a meaningful perspective to the public.
All around the world, people are mesmerized by different forms of art. Whether it is films, photographs, or paintings, society would be lost without the many talented and creative minds that glorify our world. Art is able to help people in times of empowerment and grief whilst inspiring us. Through a collection of photographs and films, Alex Prager is able to incorporate a variety of styles that give sentiment to her pieces and mesh them in a way that intrigues people who have the pleasure of coming across them.
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Desiree, from the series The Big Valley, 2008. © Alex Prager. Courtesy Alex Prager Studio and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong and Seoul.
The Los Angeles-based artist has represented her home in her photographs by producing the surging theme of Old Hollywood in her pieces. Each image seems to tell a story to the audience and reflects tenderness and depth along with darkness, drama, and grief. Her photographs generally have a woman in it (as the lead), which creates a classical/mature and feminine feeling. Prager is self-taught and her work has been displayed throughout the world and shown in not only well-known magazines but also museums and galleries.
The photos are created so precisely with the perfect burst of color within the clothing, make-up, environment, etc. producing a retrospective approach. Her vision is very specific while also ranging in various styles and themes. Each one can contain anywhere from one to two hundred people or more, and whichever amount of people or props are being used, everything is very detailed from the makeup to the facial expressions. A renowned quote shared by the artist states that “With photography, I like to leave a lot of the story, even to myself”, and through this as well as her art, the audience is able to conclude his/her own story through Prager’s artistic vision.
The exhibition Silver Lake Drive by Alex Prager is on view until September 4 at Foam, Keizersgracht 609, Amsterdam.
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Rita from the series Week-End, 2009. © Alex Prager. Courtesy Alex Prager Studio and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong and Seoul.