Diane Rosenstein Gallery in Los Angeles presents Portraits, an exhibition of paintings by Vanessa Prager, a self-taught artist born known for her impasto painting technique. Prager was born and raised in LA, yet her work knows no geographical bounds. Her paintings traverse ideas of self-reflection, identity, and the human condition within the 21st century, having been featured in New York, Paris, San Francisco, Berlin, and London. 

‍Portraits is Prager’s second solo exhibition with the gallery and consists of fifteen paintings that illustrate the inevitability of change and metamorphosis. The artist shifts between still life and classicism to portray bust-length portraits of half-human, half floral beings. Viewers are directed to the faces of these beings where great bouquets replace the heads of faceless subjects, nodding to Arcimboldo’s Proto-Surrealist naturalist expressions and utilizing flowers as a metaphor for the transformative nature of life. For Prager, these works are a gesture of optimism, an encouragement for the people in our world to connect and reconnect with themselves and others. 

‍Portraits is available for viewing at 831 N Highland Ave from Feb. 14 to April 1. 

‍Summer vacation or winter holidays?

Summer vacation. I'll take all the hot sun and water. 

‍Roses or daisies?

Roses. But garden roses.

‍Morning ritual or nighttime wind down?

Nighttime wind down. Although, coffee. 

‍Abstraction or realism?

Abstracted realism?

‍Los Angeles or New York?

Los Angeles. Not only for the weather. 

‍Nostalgia or futurism?

Futurism. I never want to get stuck in the past and the future is wide open. 

‍Drama or comedy?

Comedy. A good laugh can hit the spot. 

‍Pastels or neutrals?

Pastels. Let the sun bleach the colors. 

‍Sunshine or moonlight?

Sunshine. I like it saturated. 

‍Solo or group exhibitions?

Solo. I prefer a broad scope of an artist’s work.

Directed by Cara Robbins

Photos by Ernest Gibson and Cara Robbins