Alex Prager, Nancy, 2008, C Type Print, 44 x 48", © Alex Prager.

Alex Prager, Susie and Friends, 2008, C-Type Print, 36 x 60", © Alex Prager.

Alex Prager, Susie and Friends, 2008, C-Type Print, 36 x 58", © Alex Prager.

Alex Prager, Susie and Friends, 2008, C-Type Print, 36 x 51", © Alex Prager.

Alex Prager, Susie and Friends, 2008, C-Type Print, 36 x 48", © Alex Prager.

Michael Hoppen Gallery
3 Jubilee Place
+44 (0)20 7352 3649
London
Alex Prager –
The Big Valley
April 25-June 12, 2008

Cinematic and darkly playful, The Big Valley is a series of highly saturated staged portraits by Los Angeles based artist, Alex Prager. For her first solo UK exhibition this entirely new work will be shown alongside photographs from her high-successful Polyester series.

Prager photographs her female subjects in a style unashamedly reminiscent of the great mid 20th Century film directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Douglas Sirk. Within the naivety of her compositions and colour palette there is the suggestion of an impending narrative, not unlike old movie stills once displayed outside every cinema. Prager’s photographs offer us segments of stories that encourage us to imagine for ourselves the missing passages beyond the edges of the frame. Often shot from an unexpected angle and unusually lit, the audience are positioned very much as voyeurs. Synthetic wigs, fake birds and retro costumes are meticulously planned and her models cast as players frozen in the narrative. On the surface these models appear polished and eerily near perfection, a utopia sprung with tension. Like Guy Bourdin, the king of photographic mise-en-scène, Prager demands more than simply a ‘pretty picture’.

Born in Los Angeles, Prager has received no formal education since the 8th grade, spending time between Los Angeles, Florida and Lucerne, Switzerland. A self-taught photographer, Prager was originally inspired by stumbling upon a William Eggleston exhibition at the Getty Museum. Eggleston’s early influence is still evident in Prager’s prominent use of colour. Since taking up photography at the age of 20 her photographs have been included in 13 exhibitions including a recent solo show at Robert Berman Gallery, Los Angeles, and she has shot for numerous publications include i-D, Flaunt, Complex, Elle Japan, MOJO and Rolling Stone.

Alex Prager was born in Los Angeles in 1979. She was raised by her grandmother in a small apartment in the suburb of Los Feliz and her curious and restless nature was evident early on. Her nomadic upbringing saw her splitting her time between Florida, California, and Switzerland without truly settling down long enough for a formal education. Prager's interest in art began in her adolescence, but it was in her early twenties that she began to focus on photography after being inspired by the work of William Eggleston.

In keeping with her independent spirit, she eschewed art school and began taking photographs on her own, teaching herself equipment and lighting through trial and error. Prager has since contributed to a number of publications including ID, Elle Japan, MOJO, and Complex. All the while, she continued to exhibit her work in various group shows throughout Los Angeles. After the release of her first book The Book Of Disquiet (2006) Prager was given her first solo show at Robert Berman Gallery in Santa Monica, entitled Polyester. Along with her 2007 exhibition at Sara Tecchia Roma New York, Prager is slated to exhibit in both London and Miami Photo.