In person, the subjects of LA painter Vanessa Prager’s heavily painted portraits only faintly emerge from their textured backgrounds; in photos, they materialize more readily. The implications of being more visible on a screen aren’t lost on Prager, who has installed peep-holes through out the gallery to carry on a conversation about the absence and presence of images today. (At The Hole NYC on the Lower East Side through Feb 29th).

Vanessa Prager, Night Gaze, oil on panel, 48 x 48 inches, 2016.
Vanessa Prager, Night Gaze, oil on panel, 48 x 48 inches, 2016.