Alex Prager Research

Barbara                                                                                                       Helen

          

           As I have been researching Alex Prager's photography it has become apparent that her work is viewed as part of the show and rarely are any individual photographs written about, so it may be difficult to find some contrasting opinions and analysis of an image. However I'm intrigued by her style and would like to write about some of her work. One alternative is to look at her films. In 2010 she directed her first short film Sunday and later in 2010 came Despair featuring Bryce Dallas Howard.

            Despair, "According to the artist, it is a “full-sensory version” of her photographs, an attempt “to show the before, now and after of one of my images.” The four-minute film, with a score by composer Ali Helnwein, is set in Los Angeles. It was inspired by The Red Shoes, a 1948 film about a prima ballerina whose obsession with dance conflicts with her need for love, ultimately leading to her suicide. Focusing on the actress’s face to capture one intense emotion, Prager engages in the construction of images that are intentionally loaded, reflecting her fascination with and understanding of cinematic melodrama." It won Best Artistic Direction on the third edition of Diane Pernet’s Fashion Film Festival 'A Shaded View On Fashion Film' and feels very familiar to anyone accustomed to Prager's photography.

Stills from Despair

This would make an interesting piece to write about as she draws from many influences and whilst retaining an inherent simplicity. The storyline itself is short and basic: a woman receives a phone call, then jumps off a building. But the direction and purpose written score elevate the story to something beautiful. Inspired by  the opening to Charles Laughton's Night of the Hunter in 1955, and the 1948 film The Red Shoes, directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, (which was itself partly inspired by the Hans Christian-Anderson tale). Projecting Hitchcock inspired tension and the age old theme of females in peril. Interpreted through crisp, bold, highly saturated colours and displaying vintage fashion direct from a fashion editorial. Yet she produces picture perfection, influences beautifully and seamlessly bound together.