2005 Infinity Award: Art

Loretta Lux was born and raised in Dresden, Germany. She started experimenting with photography in 1999, beginning with a series of self-portraits that led to a focus on children. In a very short amount of time, Lux garnered attention from collectors and critics. Her work has been reviewed in such publications as Aperture, ArtForum, The New York Times, Village Voice, The New Yorker, frieze, and PDN.  

Her creative process draws heavily from her studies as a painter. Her portrait subjects, usually children of friends and family, are combined digitally with a palette of painted backgrounds, vintage costume, and various props, to suit her exacting vision. The perfectly posed children are coyly manipulated to seem pleasant at first glance, with their subdued pastel hues and perfect porcelain skin. On closer inspection, however, Lux’s subjects, who have been likened to aliens, robots, and changelings, take on a slightly sinister air. 

Her photographs are included in the permanent collections of major museums including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Musée de l'Elysée in Switzerland, Photo Museum Munich, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and Israel Museum, Jerusalem.