Name: Amber Prince Student Number: 12025462
Introduction to Visual Culture:
Contextualising Practice [UA1A8P-20-1]: 2012-13
Provide a detailed, critical analysis of a
cultural text.
In this essay I will be looking at what makes Alex Prager’s portraits so
immediately identifiable in relation to other cultural texts by analysing the
large format digital C-Type print Barbara,
a photograph that was part of the exhibition Weekend by Alex Prager in 2010. Throughout her work she continually
references notion’s taken for granted in our current social climate;
transcending medium in her bright, eerie interpretations to create works
inextricably embedded within her time and position. Her images are undeniably
born from a varied wealth of visual language and manipulated into her own
recognisable style.
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Alex Prager- Barbara 2010
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She translates
and represents “Hitchcock’s undercurrent of fear, Cindy Sherman’s themes of
female identity, Gregory Crewdson’s nightmarish suburbs, the cartoonish drama
of Roy Lichtenstein’s women.” Michael Hoppen told Photo District News’. (British
Journal of Photography. (2010) pp. 42-43.) Taking a post-structuralist
perspective on the self-taught photographer’s continual interweaving of texts,
I am going to examine the aesthetic results of these multiple sources.
Prager’s culturally rich outputs, (both
photographs and moving image), interest me because of the complex range of
influence she manages to channel eloquently through her chosen medium. Her work
is accessible and relatable through its familiarity, but this vast array of
reference makes it quite a specific cross section of a culture and time. “Authors
are not individuals but characters manifested or exemplified.” (Nehamas, 1986,
p. 685) Meaning that subsequently the
photographer can claim only part ownership of the image, as it was
pre-determined and fabricated by an unfathomable amount of contributors-
William Eggleston, David Lynch and Charles Laughton through to Pulp Fiction
have all written a little of the narrative, aesthetic, concept, subject or
approach. These patchwork myriad authors bless the photographs with cultural
depth and secondary information not seen but assumed. What Prager does, is to
mediate a story with the viewer and grant it life, acting as a channel through
which the universal tension, fear and seduction may be explored.
She is known for scale of production, often using elaborate stages,
monumental set ups and copious amounts of fabricated detailing. Prager plays
set designer, director, photographer, stylist and more, wigs and retro costumes
transform her friends and family into a story of femininity and drama. She
claims that ‘on some level ‘all women are actresses’.’ And peering into this
fictional, highly saturated picture of strange perfection we can try to
understand the stories at work.
Her photographs can often combine
many elements; however I have chosen this text in particular because of its
simplicity. Very stripped back, this portrait manages to communicate its
position, influences and reference numerous other texts through very few
rudiments and I’d like to further understand how this is achieved.
The physical properties themselves directly reference cinema, the size,
orientation and ratio of the print, (particularly when viewed in exhibition) forms
a screen rather than a frame. It is a large landscape print, simply framed and
hung at standing eye level, so at an average viewing distance it would occupy
your entire field of vision to invite the viewer into the story. When I look at
the photograph I almost anticipate movement, tremors of action hide just out of
sight inducing the desire to pry and an ache to know more.
The whole exhibition follows suit, and collectively the photographs were
designed to feel like a selection of stills taken from a film you’ll never get
to see. The audience cannot disentangle a linear, comprehensive narrative, but
that level of understanding is superfluous to the experience. The cinematic
sense of drama, the transient intangible scene before and after each exposure
is what we covet.
There is that same feeling of apprehension hyper-present in Barbara, in a way reminiscent of
Hitchcock there is a quiet, unspoken, but potentially malevolent atmosphere
warning the viewer that the scene should not be taken and accepted at surface
value. There is a conscious alert of fear written into a simple if dramatic
studio portrait and the main source of this unease is the lighting. Almost
certainly shot in a studio, the smooth rich navy backdrop would often
neutralise the set, designed to clarify the scene and commandeer attention
towards the model, but in actuality it conflicts with the light source to
complicate the cinematic tableaux. The engulfing blue alludes to an outdoor
night scene; however our lead is inconsistently lit by a bright, warm glow positioned
low down and bluntly in front of her, which suggests car headlights. Her gaze
is fixed, engrossed deep within a hidden off screen narrative, and her
expression is blank with concentration- Therefore Prager entrusts the viewer to
write a large part of the plot.
Prager has a tendency to manipulate the B-movie heroine into an updated,
redefined character. She is stronger, and capable of overcoming fear to place
herself firmly in control. The results are mysterious as the characters become
unreadable, but they are wrought with desire as femininity bewitches the scene.
It is difficult to judge her expression, fear, acceptance or something else?
Whatever her feelings we have been positioned blind as we are thrown into a
specifically selected moment in the narrative and given this portrait as our
only point of reference.
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Stan Douglas- Shoes, 1947
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In
this manner of alluding to but never fully explaining a storyline she echoes
one of her predecessors Stan Douglas; Natural storytellers, they both stage
imitation film stills that withhold context and reason. A comparative review of
the two photographers claims that "Douglas often presents his work in such
a way that there is an element of chance and random ordering, meaning that the
viewer can enter the narrative at any point and create their own understanding" (O’Hagen, 2012) Which seamlessly chimes with the
sense of being abandoned amidst the tale without explanation we experience when
viewing Barbara.
When
discussing the author’s role in determining interpretation, I believe it is
true that “Their nature guides interpretation and interpretation
determines their nature.” (Nehamas, 1986, p. 685.) Prager is defined by our
personal versions and understanding of classic film-noirs, our preconceptions
of that red-lipped, Newton’s cradle heel clicking femme-fatale. Which (playing a
credit to her success), she thrives upon “I like the full curves of the classic female
lead. These are strong things that the viewer instantly understands. They can
bring their own references and memories." She says (Prager, 2012). Our immediate recognition and willingness to succumb
to the illusion is integral and thus she intentionally leaves each culturally
loaded photograph open to interpretation. We are invited to look in on Prager’s
manufactured world of Tarantino escapism, experience her vision of a colourful
past without having to necessarily form an opinion, the viewer is quite free to
simply visit and indulge in that place for a while.
The
styling of the subject talks to ideas surrounding taste and class. The symbol
of a fur coat signifies glamour; it implies the woman is classy and wealthy as
she sports a luxury item. Her hair and make-up are immaculate; she has had (up
until this point) no need to do anything strenuous and has taken time over her
appearance. The styling is currently in vogue, undertaking a rise in popularity
through shows like Mad Men, whilst channelling Tippi Hedren in classic vintage
fashion- a typical Hitchcock blonde.
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Gregory Crewdson. Untitled from the series 'Twilight',
2001-2, Digital C-type print, Sanders Collection, Amsterdam
© Gregory Crewdson
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Although, unusually for Prager she is still styled
quite neutrally, aside from the beige coat her clothes are masked and the
colour palette is more muted than most of Weekend.
I think the blue contrasts beautifully with the gold hues to create an
attractive, compelling version of a dark moment impregnated with tense
possibility. The colour-way, indicating a dark night with suspiciously warm
lighting is consistently used by her peer Gregory Crewdson who- just like
Prager- documents a fictional space inspired by the underbelly of Los Angeles and
its perfect shiny exterior.
For
a deceptively simple image, Barbara is the photographic embodiment of
intertextuality and the perfect example of post-structuralist theories
surrounding authorship. Practically a film still in its cinema reference and
endlessly comparable in aesthetic, this image proves that simple, carefully
selected elements in a frame can saturate the piece with assumed information and
aspiring to be the sole originator of something as a mark of greatness is a
fallacy.
Works cited:
Hoppen, M. (2010) Cover story,
new talent. British Journal of
Photography. 157(7760) pp 42-43.
Nehamas, A. (1986) “What and
Author Is.” The Journal of Philosophy.
83 (11), p. 685. Print.
Raj, P.P.E. (2012) Author and
Text: Reading Michel Foucault’s What is an Author. The criterion [online]. 3 (3), p6 . [Accessed 02 Jan 2013].
Raj, P.P.E. (2012) Author and
Text: Reading Michel Foucault’s What is an Author. The criterion [online]. 3 (3), p.9 [Accessed 02 Jan 2013].
Bibliography
Michael
Hoppin Contemporary. (2012) Michael Hoppin Gallery. Available from: http://www.michaelhoppengallery.com/artist,show,3,120,253,1288,0,0,0,0,michael_hoppen_contemporary.html [Accessed
19 December 2012]
Raj,
P.P.E. (2012) Author and Text: Reading Michel Foucault’s What is an Author. The criterion [online]. 3 (3). [Accessed 02 Jan
2013]
British
Journal of Photography. (2010) Cover story, new talent. British Journal of Photography.
157(7760) pp 42-43.
Barthes,
R. (1967) The Death of the Author
[online] T-Book [Accessed 10 December 2012]
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