4689.85 degrees kelvin: Alex Prager

Alex Prager, another artist currently showing at New Photography 2010 at the MoMA, as stated on their press release, 'takes cues from pulp fiction and the fashion images of Guy Bourdin to construct filmic narratives starring women disguised under synthetic wigs, dramatic makeup and retro polyester attire" This is fairly spot on. But, I would like to add, Prager's images depict causal scenes very much synonymous with women in 1960s hollywood films where airports, and beaches predominate.

What I like most about Prager's work is his ability to create narratives in these images which have both a very interesting ideal and allure along with hinting at an untold story about to unfold. Beyond the simple stills, these images are highly dramatic, but I'm not sure why. I love photographs which tell a story but do not fill in all the information nor will they ever be able to be defined by one story.

Technically, I adore the neon glows of these colors. Retro and simply placed in context, I think their colors aid incredibly the attitude of the images. All photos selected below depend on the colors and textures of their backgrounds as well. The figures are very important, but so too are the background Prager has chosen.

Finally, I was attracted to these images because of the figures and their titles. The titles are just as important to defining the characters as the photographs themselves. Metaphors in titles as they relate to images interest me greatly.