Alex Israel’s First and Last

Alex Israel has been riding the Hollywood wave since he began producing works at the Warner Bros. Design Studio in the 2010s. Israel embraces the iconography of his hometown of Los Angeles, the cult of celebrity and all its clichés and styles. His signature profile-in-shades and skyline backdrops have evolved into products, augmented reality experiences and photorealistic paintings, all capturing the essence of Southern Californian millennial life.

Israel’s latest London show sees his interactive video installation ‘REMEMBR’ brought to Gagosian’s Davies Street gallery on 6th June. Here, visitors can engage with AI software to transform the photos from their camera rolls into a dynamic slideshow, complete with a pop soundtrack, all displayed on LED screens shaped like Israel’s iconic side profile self-portrait.

So it was only right that Israel let us on his own camera roll for First and Last, where he claims to have over 100,000 photos and videos stored.

First: Me and Jackie Winnick, 1987

Me and Jackie Winnick at The Regency Club’s Easter Brunch in 1987. The club, now faded to memory like so much from that time, once occupied two floors of an office tower on Wilshire Blvd. in Westwood. In its place today are the Wasserman offices and LA 2028 Olympic Headquarters, where I recently had a meeting. We’re four years old in the photo, dolled up by our parents, happy to have just watched the annual spring puppet show by Bob Barker Marionettes. We’re posing for the camera and plotting our next round of Shirley Temples. Jackie’s always been a real protector and we remain close friends to this day.

Last: Palm tree in Cap Ferrat 

A palm tree spotted on Cap Ferrat in the South of France, somewhere along today’s morning hike. Like hiking, seeing palm trees in foreign places always reminds me of home and gives me a sense of well-being.

Selfie: Me and Jackie Winnick, 2023

This selfie taken at the Baby2Baby Charity Gala in LA this past fall, 36 and a half years after our “First.”