The concentration of humans working together daily in an office-work environment sparks the best and worst inclinations of human nature. From the emotional high of closing a deal, to the pettiness of gauging someone’s worth based on the size of their office, I have witnessed the “office space” to be as robust a stage as any to present an array of human perceptions and experiences. My inaugural “Office Ethos” show, opening November 1, 2025 at Fern's Gallop Gallery (Houston) and curated by my friend Jessica Phifer, features acrylic paintings that capture perspectives of office dynamics from my 40-plus year corporate career.
Cast as contemporary surrealism, I’m hoping to illustrate what’s happening underneath; the oftentimes conflicting emotions experienced in the everyday pursuit of commercial excellence. Each painting is intended to conjure not only the utilitarian imagery of the workplace, but also the underlying unspoken response to the situation, ranging from angst to joy. Employing traditional imagery of neck ties, pencils, interoffice envelopes, stained ceiling tiles, et. al, the paintings intend to reflect the fraught frailties that corporate culture can elicit; the simmering interiors of every employee, from the analysts’ cubes to the C-Suite.
As an emerging artist in my early 60’s, I employ old-school methods to block my pieces. Photos of real coffee stains, extensive use of protractors and space calculations, are key tools to my creative process. Harkening back to my part-time work as a graphic artist during college, I tend towards crisper design elements in heightened scale. Anthropomorphic imagery also adds to the surrealist approach of giving voice to subconscious emotions.
Following decades in corporate leadership, for my inaugural show I wanted to explore drawing from that experience. The way the number of ceiling tiles in an office confirms your status. The dread or relief of the inter-office mail. Each painting is intended to reflect the seemingly conflicting emotions often experienced when creating, collaborating, and competing within an ecosystem. Lofty ambitions scarred by paralyzing fear…the spirit of individualism thwarted by the realities of rank…the dreams of freedom while confined by the daily grind… are all part of the human experience.
Biography
Alexandra (Garbers) Pruner (b. 1962, NYC)
As a child, Alex took courses at The Art Students’ League of New York when she spent the summers with her father, Fred, who was an accomplished abstract expressionist. She had always envisioned she would follow in her father’s footsteps and become a professional artist. However, as a student at Brown University (where she had set her sights on partly due to its affiliation with RISD) Alex took a sharp turn and studied Economics instead. Post graduation in the early 1980s, she pursued a career in the finance industry, and moved with her family to Houston in 1996. She co-founded the investment bank Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. in 2007 and ultimately served as CFO of its acquisitive New York-based parent company, PWP.
Since retiring as CFO in 2018, Alex has served on the Boards of Directors of Fortune 250 companies and resumed painting. Studying at both the Glassell School of Art (Houston) and The Kimball Art Center (Park City) Alex has had work shown in various group shows around the country. Her show at Fern’s Gallop Gallery in Houston will run from November 1 - 30, 2025, and represents her inaugural solo exhibition.
