Big Love

 

You may remember a recent post about an upcoming art showing at local gallery M + B, the artist was Alex Prager. Well it turns out, artistic talent runs deep in this family. While Alex draws you in with her photographs, her sister, Vanessa Prager shows you a new kind of world. In her world, anything is possible, from cotton candy trees to flying red lips. 

Vanessa Prager with Candy Plumes

 Well Vampd recently had the chance to sit down with Vanessa and here’s what she had to say. 

VAMPD: How did you get started?  
 
VP: I started drawing when I was 16, and I liked it so much that I never really considered doing anything else. Since then I’ve spent most of my time trying to find (or self creating) places to show my work to people!

VAMPD: So, where do you draw your inspiration from for such original artwork? 

VP:  All over the place. I go through phases of things that I’m just completely obsessed with, then there are constants as well, and all of these things play a part. I try to make work that is original though, so I take things in from all over the place, mush it around in my head with all the other stuff that’s in there, then without thinking create my new paintings. I hope that works. But here are a few of my favorite things: An old suitcase of my grandmother’s slides, zoo animal encyclopedia, plant and insect specimen charts, children’s books and fairy tales, light bulbs, old books and catalogs, traveling. Traveling is top of my list of things I have to do every few months. There’s endless inspiration in the world, but that can be hard to remember when you hang out in your apartment for too long!

VAMPD: That’s so true! Besides exploring the outside world, what’s your biggest inspiration? 

VP:  I am constantly drawn to people, their thoughts, intentions and expressions. I’m really interested in how big the gap can be between what things seem like and what’s actually going on. 
  
VAMPD: What are your goals for your art? 

VP: For the entirety of my art I have big goals. But I’ll leave it at that and just stick to what I’m working towards in the next few years. Baby steps get you far.
 
VAMPD: I guess they do. Dream big right? So what’s your vision? 

VP: A renaissance, or a post apocalyptic renaissance, whichever comes first, hopefully the former.
  

VAMPD: Okay, let’s say you were sending the world a message with your pieces, what are you saying?

VP: Although there is a definite and clear thought process in my head that drives everything I do, I have a hard time describing what it is in words. So hopefully I’m succeeding in sending the message through my paintings and don’t have to worry about it!

For more information please visit her at VPrager.com or follow her Twitter @VPrager.

With Teeth