Imagined Scenarios

Alex Prager

Face in the Crowd is the new series of work from self-taught American photographer, Alex Prager (b. 1979). Inspired by the colour images of William Eggleston, Prager creates fascinating scenes utilising bright palettes and constructed settings. Her new photographs detail elaborately staged crowds, exploring the lines between public and private space and the emotional difficulties of human interaction. For full effect, the artist directed the performances of hundreds of costumed actors on fictionally imagined sets, creating congested public areas including an airport terminal, a city hall lobby, a beach and the Sunset 5 cinema. Prager has also made a film, featuring actress Elizabeth Banks, examining the position of the individual within the complexity of the larger crowd. Internationally recognised, the artist was part of MoMA’s New Photography 2010 exhibition, and a film commission from The New York Times Magazine won her an Emmy Award (2012). The following images are extracted from Face in the Crowd, which were on display at M+B, Los Angeles.

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