Alex Prager, “Compulsion” at Yancey Richardson Gallery | NYABlog | New York Art Beat

If compulsion is the irresistible impulse to act, nobody has told Alex Prager. The title of the L.A. based photgrapher’s latest exhibition may be Compulsion, but as usual with Prager’s work, there is a tension, ambiguity stillness that will keep the viewer guessing.

Compulsion moves in time like a foggy dream. You’re not quite sure where you are, or what exactly is happening, but somehow, it all feels like a strange journey that you are more than willing to take. The exhibition features not only photographs from the series, which range in size from small and intimate to epically large, but also film stills from Prager’s newest short film, La Petite Mort, starring French actress Judith Godrèche. Prager has often incorporated actors and film into her work, all of which is already undeniably cinematic; Compulsion is no exception. Filled to the brim with emotion, these captured moments of intense drama read like a story board.

And while there’s no telling exactly what that story is, we can tell that it is a new one for Prager; her usual bright colors are (for the most part) muted down, creating scenes set in a lonely prairie, atop a telephone wire in a darkening sky, even underwater. It’s pure Americana mixed with a hefty dose of Surreal. In 4:01pm, Sun Valley and Eye # 3 (House Fire), a small, quaint house burns in an epic blaze, yet the bright, peaceful landscape which surrounds it is mysteriously undisturbed. Right beside it, a close-up shot of a man’s earnest, determined gaze– highlighting only one eye– watches acutely. In fact, eyes are a recurring element throughout Compulsion as smaller photographs that accompany the larger ones. It is unsure to whom the eyes belong– perhaps to the vague and varied collection of protagonists, or other people entirely– but whoever they are, they’re watching us. Press the chat button below to get a free expert opinion or buy term paper from us. Paperell focuses on customer satisfaction rather them promoting their services online. I had to make some changes at the last moment in my thesis and could not manage the time on my own.

A stirring mix of beauty, nature, and the bizarre, Compulsion is a can’t-miss show that will run until May 19 at Yancey Richardson Gallery.