Alex's Exhibit "Elements"

A Serene Hollywood Scene

Halle Berry joined Ellen DeGeneres and an A-list crowd last weekend at West Hollywood's White Room Gallery, for Alexandra Hedison's photography exhibition called "Elements." Hedison, a former actress and renowned photographer, said the show is about "Corners and details and screens and lines." But Hedison's girlfriend, DeGeneres, is also one of the photographer's favorite subjects. "I love shooting her," Hedison revealed. "I mean who wouldn't?"

"I'm really proud of her," DeGeneres told us. "She has such an amazing eye. She sees things most people don't." Jill Hennessey agreed. "It's incredibly serene and meditative," she told us of the photos. And Constance Marie added, "In the entertainment industry there are so many things that make you go, ‘Eh,' so we need a little, ‘Ahhh.'"

Funny man and photography buff Ben Stiller found Hedison's photos to be simple, but not pretentious. "A lot of art and photography is pretentious. And when people talk about it they sound pretentious," Stiller stated. "When the art of photography is not pretentious itself, then you in turn don't sound as pretentious when you're talking about it. So I enjoy that because now I won't sound pretentious talking about it."

One things for sure, after this show, everyone in Hollywood will be talking about Alexandra and her camera.

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"Perhaps what I am presenting in my work is the beauty and perfection of the moment we are in now. I am presenting the position of "now" and "here" versus the projection of what we think is better and more desirable beyond."

Framing, grid patterns, color combinations, lines, layers, and composition all contribute a sense of urgency and peace to Alexandra Hedison's photographs. The photographs are all connected in that each image places the viewer in one position looking out onto a variety of abstract landscapes. Hedison's screens have to do with obstacles, the things that interrupt or stand between us and the beauty that lies beyond. She challenges the viewer to see things in a different way through her choices of unique framing. The framing acts as obstacles to the outside scenery, whether it is a curtain or a layer of trees. Although the viewer is aware of the obstacles posed by the photograph, the grid patterns and pattern repeats allows one to be comfortable and relaxed in their position. In many ways Hedison allows the viewer to see the beauty in the barriers, while questioning the relationship between the journey and the destination. The series is an overview of Hedison's medium format color photographs from the past four years.

Alexandra Hedison is a native of Los Angeles who made her professional transition from acting to photography in 2000. Her work has been published in Time, USA Today, NY Times, People, and Newsweek. This year she was accepted into AFI's distinguished Directing Workshop for Women and will be directing a short film for AFI in August.