As 2020 draws to a close, we stand at the precipice of a new world. For Los Angeles-based artist Alex Prager, change is good – and fear is a necessary catalyst, driving her to leap into the unknown rather than risk the stultifying effect of repeating herself.
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“I never wanted to get too comfortable. I get bored easily,” Prager tells AnOther. “I know my process and part of it is being terrified. Imagine what it’s like to be in a cave and then suddenly see a lion with you. If I have a little bit of that terror going into a project, I’m on the right path. Being scared when you’re embarking on a new project is one way to keep it fresh.”
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Prager likes to set the bar as high as it will go, daring herself to take what is familiar and render it anew, finding fresh ways to explore the liminal space between reality and illusion in her sumptuously surreal works of art. In 2008, Prager reached a plateau in photography and began to investigate film, the cinematic possibilities infusing her work with a delectable tension. Throughout her practice, Prager has always made set pieces when she wasn’t able to secure the real thing, indulging in her love for sculpture along the way.
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But it wasn’t until 2020 that the opportunity came for Prager to work on a scale the likes of which she could only dream. Miller Life commissioned the artist to create Farewell, Work Holiday Parties, a holiday advert bidding adieu to the annual office Christmas party. With Covid-19 in the air, the idea of getting drunk with co-workers and dining off a shared charcuterie board is just about the last thing anyone would want to do – making it the perfect milieu for Prager’s playful truths about contemporary American life.
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