In the clip above, Alex Prager, in conversation with gallerist Yancey Richardson (September 30, 2010 at Aperture as part of the Parsons Lecture Series), talks about wandering through the Getty Center one day, never before having considered photography, stumbling upon William Eggleston’s print of old shoes under a bed and being completely moved and inspired to pick up a camera for the first time.

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Out of 100 nominees from around the world, an international jury has selected photographer Alex Prager, who was showcased at MoMA’s New Photography 2010 exhibition, as winner of the Foam Paul Huf Award 2012. Simon Baker, chairman of the jury, said:

Prager’s work is original, intelligent and seductive. She thoroughly deserves her place in the company of former Foam Paul Huf winners, which is fast becoming a who’s who of contemporary photographic practice.

The annual € 20,000 prize is awarded to a photographer under 35 years of age, who then goes on to present their work in a solo exhibition at the Foam Museum. Prager’s saturated, cinematic, stylized and glamourously surreal photographs will be on view in Amsterdam August 31, 2012 – October 14, 2012.

Foam Amsterdam
Keizersgracht 609, 1017 DS
Binnenstad, Netherlands
+31 20 551 6500

Prager will also have a multi-city solo exhibition, Compulsion, on view simultaneously at Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York, M+B Gallery in LA, and Michael Hoppen Gallery in London, April 5, 2012 – May 19, 2012.  Huffington Post has a behind-the-scenes photo exclusive of the show and Q&A with the photographer.

Yancey Richardson Gallery
535 West 22nd Street 3rd floor
New York, NY 10011
(646) 230-9610

M+B Gallery
612 North Almont Drive
Los Angeles, California 90069
(310) 550-0050

Michael Hoppen Gallery
3 Jubilee Place,
London SW3 3TD
+44 (0)20 7352 3649

Join us for this fun, intimate, break-down-the-barriers, photo-collecting workshop. Moderated by Bill Hunt, the day will start with brunch and a conversation with other important collectors including Cathy Kaplan and Jan Larsen. Then venture out for a behind-the-scenes tour of various Chelsea galleries with Brian Clamp and artist Monika Merva, Daniel Cooney with artist Shen Wei, Robert Mann, Yancey Richardson, and Julie Saul, among other experts in the field. Each attendee will also receive a complimentary pass to the New York Photo Festival for Sunday, May 15th.

As there is limited space for this event, sign up to SNAP! New Collectors Program now and enjoy a full calendar of member-only activities including meet-the-artist events, and informal educational offerings; receive two complimentary Aperture publications and sneak peek offers on our new limited-edition prints and portfolios; among other benefits.

Saturday, May 14
12:30–4:30 pm

Click here for a full schedule of the event

FREE for current SNAP! members

Join SNAP! now
$250 SNAP! membership for one
Special offer for Do Ask, Do Tell: $400 SNAP! membership for two (regular price $500).
Contact ychehata@aperture.org for details. 

As the event is limited to 35 guests, attendance will be on a first-come, first-served basis with a minimum of 10 participants.

Aperture Gallery
547 West 27th Street
4th Floor
New York, New York
(212) 946-7108

Image courtesy of Shen Wei and Daniel Cooney Fine Art, NY

Alex Prager’s dazzling and saturated color portraits of young women depict a synthetic and surreal glamor. The images reference dark cinema and the melodramatic as conveyed through constructed scenes of suspense and uncertainty. Last fall coinciding with MoMA’s New Photography 2010 exhibition, artist Alex Prager and gallerist Yancey Richardson were in conversation at Aperture Gallery and Bookstore.  An excerpt of the discussion is now available to watch on Vimeo.

In this edited excerpt, Alex Prager explains how William Eggleston’s work has inspired her to start a career in photography ten years ago. She also speaks about how she works from the initial idea to the preparation of the shoot and the “magical minute” when everything comes together. When Yancey Richardson asks about the emotional quality of her photographs, she references the influence of silent movies and film noir from the 1940′s and their glamorous imagery.

Click here to watch the conversation!

Photo by Alex Prager

The fall Parsons Lecture Series kicks off this Thursday, September 30th with an artists talk and conversation between photographer Alex Prager and gallerist Yancey Richardson. Alex Prager’s dazzling and saturated color portraits of young women depict a synthetic and surreal glamour. The images reference dark cinema and the melodramatic as conveyed through constructed scenes of suspense and uncertainty. Prager’s work has been shown in gallery’s around the world and this week her work will appear open at Moma’s  New Photography 2010 exhibition. Yancey Richardson, New York City gallerist and prominent fine art photography dealer has exhibited Prager’s work and has over twenty – eight years of experience in the field.

Alex Prager and Yancey Richardson in Conversation
Parsons Lecture Series
Thursday, September 30, 6:30PM

Aperture Gallery & Bookstore
547 West 27th Street, 4th Floor
New York, New York

Brendan, Brooklyn, NY. 2008 Amy Elkins

You may have seen photographer and WIP co-founder Amy Elkins speak on behalf of her initiative Women In Photography at Aperture’s recent Spotlight Discussion panel. If not go to Aperture/Live, view here!

Her ongoing series Wallflower investigates and confronts some of the cultural grounds underlying gender, opting to focus on the beauty, sensitivity and vulnerabilities found in a sex that has long been held to masculine expectations and stereotypes. For Elkins these portraits remain a personal and psychological delving into the other, finding the mannerisms of male role models in her personal life endlessly fascinating.

Opening Reception: Wallflower

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 23 at 6:00-8 p.m.

YANCEY RICHARDSON GALLERY
535 West 22nd Street 3rd floor
New York NY 10011