Art Interview with

MARYAM EISLER

Artist, Author, Mother, Thought Provoker

Your path to being an artist is very interesting, in that you were a collector and patron first and then became an artist yourself. Please tell us more about this journey.
My journey in becoming an artist has indeed been unconventional, starting as a supporter of the arts before transitioning into creating art.  My passion for art was ignited whilst growing up in Paris. Later in life, I had the privilege of immersing myself in the works of incredible artists, learning about different artistic practices, and engaging deeply with the art world through several books which I edited on artists and their studios, allowing me to learn on the job and gain invaluable insights into the creative process. The latter added to several advisory and board positions at various institutions, including the Tate and the Whitechapel Gallery in London, and helped me develop an intuition for what resonated with me emotionally and intellectually, eventually evolving into a desire to create. Becoming an artist felt like a natural extension of my passion for the arts with a focus on emotional resonance, beauty, and storytelling. It’s been a journey of discovery, from observing and supporting artists to finally expressing my own vision and inner feelings.

Please tell us about your process when you are shooting, what cameras do you love to use, and how do you print your work, which is such an art form in itself!
My process is very simple. Two cameras (Canon Mark IV, 5 d) and three favourite fixed lenses—no artificial lighting. I invite movement and grain. The idea for me is not to be technical, even though I have strong technical knowledge; it is about splashing feelings onto the photographic paper, Hahnemühle being my favourite brand with its myriad of finishes. I wish I could paint, but I cannot; as such I attempt to create a painterly finish, using light as my palette and the camera as my brush. 

You have been involved with so many wonderful exhibitions and collaborations over the years; what have been some of your highlights, and what would be a dream collaboration for you?
I love collaborating with other artists and creative minds over the years, as I believe in the power of teamwork. Some of my favourite memories are with my designer friend Meihui Liu, with whom we collaborated on a dance-based series at midnight during lockdown, taking over the empty streets of Picadilly under the London moonlight, with prima ballerina Michela Meazza. Another more recent series, entitled “We Will Always Have Paris”, saw the two of us painting the town (Paris) red with Meihui’s wonderful fashion creations alongside dynamic dancer/model duo Yos Clark and May Dutoit. I have also developed a slight obsession with 70s-inspired sensual imagery anchored in vintage romance with a recent shoot in Florida, “From Gritz to Glitz in Palm Beach”, think 50s diners, Lucky Strikes, vintage Pucci, and of course lime-green Broncos… in association with friends and styling gurus Saveria Callagy, Fiona Kotur, and Siobhan Loughran! I have additionally worked with talented photographer Kim Weston, the grandson of Edward Weston, with whom we retraced the footsteps of his grandfather and lover Tina Modotti, in Mexico. Another personal favourite was a personal perspective on the iconic and story-rich Nord- Pinus Hotel in Arles, Provence where I developed “If Only These Walls Could Talk”. This coming Spring, I am looking forward to plunging into the world of Bohemia with a shoot planned at Charleston, the modernist home of the Bloomsbury set, nestled in its bucolic Sussex gardens.  

My dream collaboration, however, just took place this past March, with childhood friend and fellow Paris-based photographer, Alexei Riboud, with whom I took a 22-day road trip throughout the American West, taking in the psychology of space and place, with our respective cameras. One road, two very differing perspectives! More on this exciting project soon, with a planned book and exhibition scheduled to be launched in NYC this coming June!

Beyond being an artist, you are also an author and filmmaker. How did you get into these mediums, and what do you love most about them?
It is true that I have collaborated on a number of books on artists and their studios in both the US and the UK but also on the psychology of creativity, all of which have been published by Thames & Hudson. As far as film is concerned, I collaborated, as creative producer, alongside Meihui Lui with Oscar-winning director Tim Yip (of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), on “Love Infinity”, a semi-documentary, semi-fiction, highlighting key figures of the London creative scene, to include iconic artists but also outsider artists. The book-making process educated me on the job about the creative process and the artist’s mind, whereas the film was a natural and dynamic extension of my love for image-making and storytelling.

In 2016 you did a “figurative” workshop in Santa Fe, on Georgia O’Keeffe, that was very transformative for you; your new project with Alexei Riboud explores the American West.  Please tell us more about this project, and was your experience in Santa Fe an underlying inspiration for this?
I first visited Santa Fe and Ghost Ranch during the making of Art Studio America: Contemporary Artist Spaces (Thames & Hudson) back in 2012, only to return for a figurative photographic workshop a couple of years later where I shot “Woman” with a capital “W” amidst the beauty of this very special part of the world. I returned this year during the road trip I took with my colleague, photographer Alexei Riboud, for our American West twin-perspective photographic project (the details of which will be revealed soon). It would be fair to say that this land never ceases to inspire me with its imposing beauty and its spirituality, helping me understand what it was that attracted the great Georgia O’Keeffe to this part of the world all those years ago… barren and hostile, yet grand and fertile. Big Land. Big Sky. Mother Nature, in all its might and beauty, not to mention its creative possibility!

You were born in Iran, raised in Paris, attended Wellesley College and Columbia University, and now live in London; how has this global life influenced and inspired you and your work?
My “global” life has profoundly influenced my work, shaping how I approach art, identity, and storytelling. Growing up as a child in Iran, followed by teenage years in Paris, and later studying at Wellesley College and Columbia University in the US as a young adult, exposed me to a multitude of cultures and ideas. Wellesley, in particular, instilled in me a strong sense of female empowerment and the importance of supporting and elevating women’s voices, which has been a central theme in my own photographic work. My time in the cosmetics marketing field at L’Oréal and Estée Lauder also played a crucial role in deepening my understanding of image-making and the manner in which visual representation influences identity and perception. This professional experience has partly fuelled my artistic exploration of the “Feminine Sublime”, as I began to examine how beauty (both inner and surface), desire, and power are interconnected in visual culture.
Growing up in Paris, during the late 70s and mid 80s, with the city’s rich legacy of literature, poetry, music, and visual culture, further shaped my aesthetic choices. These cues continue to influence my work to this day. Themes of longing, nostalgia for bygone times, and identity also inform my exploration of the feminine experience. 

In a previous interview you said, “Art wins where politics often fails”; many incredible Iranian artists are quite political in their work, through images that are simultaneously politically evocative and very beautiful and moving. What do you think is the power of this contrast of emotion and political idealism, of beauty and pain?
Art has a unique ability to transcend the limitations of politics, uniting people across cultures and ideologies through a universal language. While politics often divides and relies on compromise, art speaks directly to the heart, sparking emotional and intellectual responses that politics may struggle to evoke; art can also foster empathy and shift public consciousness through soft power.

The contrast between emotion and political idealism, beauty and pain, is powerful because it humanizes complex political issues. Over the last forty years since the annexation of Iran by a government of authoritarian, power-hungry, radical bigots, many Persian artists-turned-activists have managed to engage their viewers on a deep emotional level via subliminal underlying political messaging, thereby challenging imposed societal norms. Most have become the voice of freedom and expression, at the risk of not only their livelihood but also their lives. This holds true for both diaspora artists as well as those living in Iran.

Whose new work are you most excited about, which artists do you collect, and what are some of your favorite art fairs and exhibitions around the world?
At the moment I am very excited by the work of American artist Mickalene Thomas, who is simply smashing it with her powerful retrospective at The Broad, and an upcoming Hayward Gallery show in London. I am also in love with the works of American artists Austyn Weiner and Joel Mesler. Austyn for her mind-blowing layering, choice of colours, and brush strokes… Mesler for his serious messaging which lies behind the works’ eye-candy appearance. Amidst the art royalty, George Condo and only George Condo! My favourite art fair: Paris Photo, of course!

Being a mother – as well as supporting fellow artists and being an incredible friend to a fascinating group of women – is incredibly important to you; how do you balance your time?
Life is about time management, “Them-time” and “Me-time”, in equilibrium. There is a time to connect, to support, and to communicate. But there is also a time to sit quietly and reflect. It’s the yin to the yang and for me, creation cannot take place any other way. There should also be a time to let loose and let go… to laugh, to love, and to be wild and adventurous – and most importantly, to dare.  To take risks with a healthy dose of doubt should also be part of the process. That is the beauty of life!

What is next on the horizon for you?
The next big initiative for me is the upcoming launch of the book and exhibition around the road trip that Alexei Riboud and I took in the American West through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. We will be sharing the details around this initiative very soon, with a very exciting curatorial team supporting both the book and the exhibition - to be launched this coming June in NYC! The exhibition location is equally exciting and that too will be unveiled soon! The project will then travel on to Paris, London, and Hong Kong.

https://www.maryameisler.com/
@MaryamEisler

(All works by Maryam shown here are stochastic pigment ink, printed on Hahnemühle cotton rag paper)