Unveiling the Feminine Sublime: Maryam Eisler’s Timeless Lens on Life

Maryam Eisler is a globally recognized photographer and writer whose creations merge the lyrical and the meaningful. Her photography traverses the crossroads of individual identity, shared memory, and the sensory sublime, frequently investigating the subtle strength and elegance of femininity. 

Eisler’s artistic endeavors encompass a collection of acclaimed publications such as Voices: East London and Art Studio America: Contemporary Artist Spaces (co-editor), each representing the intricate aesthetics of cultural and spatial narratives. Her creations have been featured in prestigious exhibitions, with series like If Only These Walls Could Talk and Imagining Tina: A Dialogue With Edvard Westonreceiving significant praise for their ability to evoke feelings while encapsulating conceptual richness.

Originating from Iran and currently residing in London, Eisler pursued her studies at Wellesley College and Columbia University for advanced studies, a foundation that has significantly shaped her intellectual and artistic endeavors. Her influence in the art realm extends beyond her photography, as she has held prestigious roles, including Trustee of the Whitechapel Gallery and Chair of the Middle East Acquisition Committee at the Tate Museum for a decade.

Moreover, as a primary contributor at LUX magazine, Eisler’s editorial contributions to prominent art publications such as Harper’s Bazaar Art andVanity Fairhave established her as a prominent figure in the dialogue surrounding contemporary art and culture.

Eisler’s artistry is characterized by its deep appreciation for femininity, delving into themes of resilience, sensuality, and empowerment. Her lens portrays women not merely as subjects but as natural forces, crafting stories that emphasize their strength, beauty, and intricacies. Through her photographs, she reclaims and transforms the gaze, rendering a compelling commentary on the position of women in art and society.

In a discussion with Global Voices, Maryam Eisler explores her artistic philosophy, creative process, and the cultural reflections that inform her remarkable collection of work.

Below are excerpts from the conversation: 

Omid Memarian (OM): In your “Age of Innocence”assertion, you articulate existence as “poetry in movement, a living, breathing artwork that twists and turns, never remaining still or static.” How does this viewpoint shape your methodology in capturing motion and feeling in your photography?

Maryam Eisler (ME): Life as “poetry in motion” significantly influences my photographic work. I perceive every instant as fluid and perpetually transforming, which in turn molds how I encapsulate movement entwined with emotion. Instead of merely concentrating on stillness, I aspire to elicit a sensation of metamorphosis within each image. Be it the way light alters, the motion of fabric, or the demeanor of a subject, I strive to express the vitality that invigorates the world surrounding us. Emotions are in a constant state of flux — they ebb and flow. By adopting this outlook on life, I endeavor to produce images that resonate with profound emotional significance, at times nostalgic, perhaps even melancholic, and occasionally romantic, inviting the observer to sense the heartbeat of life in every capture. My ultimate aim is to forge a deeply poetic portrayal using the camera as a conduit to realize my vision.

OM: Contemplating your “If Only These Walls Could Talk” series, you note the pleasure of “wandering through corridors and areas once walked by the titans of art, culture, music, entertainment, and literature.” How does the historical importance of a setting shape the stories you weave into your photographs?

ME: The historical importance of a setting greatly shapes the stories I weave in my photography, especially when depicting spaces soaked in cultural and personal narratives. The Nord-Pinus Hotel in Arles is an example of a place where the past resonates through every corridor. Renowned for hosting legendary figures like Picasso, Van Gogh, and Hemingway, it also holds a deep connection to bullfighting, a significant aspect of Arles’ cultural identity. For instance, Suite 10 at the Nord-Pinus was a favored spot of the illustrious bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguin, who greeted audiences from the suite’s balcony, infusing the space with a raw, masculine energy. This sharply contrasts with the hotel’s ties to the realms of fashion and photography, such as Helmut Newton’s iconic image of Charlotte Rampling in 1972, which portrays the subject in a sensual yet distinctly feminine and empowered manner.

The contrast of these energies — the elegance and fragility of Rampling’s formidable femininity alongside the raw, potent masculinity of bullfighters — adds dimensions of complexity to my visual approach. During my shoot at the Nord-Pinus, I was not merely capturing a location, but I was also engaging with the tension between these opposing forces. The hotel’s history of bullfighting, combined with its artistic legacy, offers a distinctive backdrop that informs the atmosphere and narrative of my pictures. I discover that the interplay of light, texture, and space serves as a means to visually navigate these contrasting energies, establishing a dialogue between the masculine and the feminine, the timeless and the modern, in each shot. Each image narrates a tale that is both intimate and universal, molded by the history of the site and its previous inhabitants.

OM: In your “The Now” series, you strive to capture “motion in stillness, anchored in ‘The Now’, consciously present amidst the splendor of nature and light.” How do you navigate the dynamic interaction between movement and stillness to express a sense of presence in your creations?

ME: In The Now  series, I aspire to illustrate the subtle equilibrium between movement and stillness, allowing both aspects to exist harmoniously. A central theme in this particular body of work is the contemplative presence of a solitary figure, photographed amidst the tranquility of water, where the subject appears merged with nature, space, and place, as if suspended in the infinite currents of nature. By encasing motion within stillness — whether that is through the gentle rippling of water or the changing light — I have sought to create a visual conversation between the transient and the eternal, inviting the audience to engage in a profound connection to the moment, grounded in the beauty of nature.

OM: You have shared a continuous inquiry into “sensuality and the female perspective.” In what ways have your background and lived experiences influenced your depiction of femininity and sensuality in your photography? 

ME: All these elements have significantly influenced how I depict femininity and sensuality in my work. My time at Wellesley College, an institution exclusively for women, was particularly pivotal in affirming my female identity and empowerment. Surrounded by intelligent, strong women, I acquired a profound comprehension of the intricacies of womanhood and the strength found in solidarity in developing one’s voice.

Subsequently, my career within the beauty sector, collaborating with brands such as L’Oréal and Estée Lauder, also greatly shaped my visual narrative. During this period, my concentration was on women’s external beauty while crafting marketing campaigns that highlighted aesthetics. This experience provided me with a nuanced understanding of how beauty can be showcased to the public. However, as I shifted towards photography, my ambition was to delve deeper — capturing not only the exterior but also the essence of a woman’s inner universe, her spirit, and her mind.

Growing up in Paris in the 1980s, I found myself surrounded by a culture that heavily emphasized female sexuality and sensuality within the fashion and advertising spheres. The advertisements and films of the era, often bold and provocative, managed to strike a delicate balance between empowerment and objectification. This influence has shaped my approach to sensuality in my own artistry, where I endeavor to depict women in a manner that is simultaneously empowering and genuine, honoring the delicate line between self-expression and vulnerability. Through my lens, I aspire to convey femininity as a complex experience, delving into strength, sensuality, and identity, rather than merely presenting a superficial image.

As an Iranian woman, I take immense pride in the courageous individuals in Iran who resist prejudice and repression. Their bravery and perseverance deeply motivate me and guide my dedication to depicting women in all their strength, resilience, and beauty.

 OM: In your “The Now” series, you allude to Laozi’s principle that “true strength is tranquility within activity.” How do philosophical concepts influence your photographic practice, particularly in encapsulating the essence of a moment? 

ME: Philosophical concepts, particularly those embedded in my cultural legacy, such as the perpetual wisdom found in Persian poetry, have profoundly influenced my existence and consequently my photographic practice, especially regarding the capture of a transient moment’s essence. Laozi’s idea that “true strength is tranquility within activity” resonates deeply with me as I endeavor to achieve that harmonious balance between the ephemeral and the everlasting in my creations. This notion parallels the reflections of Persian poet Omar Khayyam: “Be joyful for this moment. This moment is your existence,” underscoring, in my case, the necessity of capturing a singular frame that conveys the fullness of the now — its fleeting beauty and its authenticity.

Saadi’s insight also resonates: “Exercise patience. Every endeavor is challenging before it becomes effortless,” – highlighting the craft of patiently awaiting the opportune instance to manifest, just as Henri Cartier-Bresson famously articulated the “decisive moment,” when every component of a scene converges flawlessly, and the spirit of the moment is encapsulated in a singular click.

For me, this philosophy embodies embracing both tranquility and activity, awaiting the cosmos to unveil the ideal moment, and then relying on my intuition to capture it. The outcome translates into a fleeting instance where motion and stillness fuse together, interconnected.

OM: You have been acknowledged as one of Artnet’s ‘100 most powerful women in art’ and focus on “the feminine sublime.” How do you perceive the role of women transforming within the realm of photography, particularly with technological advancements and AI? 

ME: As a female, and particularly as a female photographer, I hold that emotional insight and intuition are crucial in producing imagery that resonates profoundly with my audience. For me, photography centers on expressing emotion, rather than achieving technical accuracy. I prioritize invoking an emotional reaction over capturing flawless compositions or precise focus. My work delves into transferring my feelings onto photographic paper, crafting an impactful experience for the viewer that echoes on a deeply human plane. While AI and technology can present novel instruments, I am convinced they can never substitute the human element — the emotional richness and intuition that women contribute to their artistry. The tangibility of the image, the human hand that seizes a specific moment, and the eye that perceives it all remain irreplaceable. Photography, for me, transcends the technical to convey a profoundly personal, emotional truth.

OM: In your “Age of Innocence” statement, you express that life is “always advancing, in a ceaseless flow of time.” How do you confront the notion of time and its passage in your photographic works? 

ME: In my “Age of Innocence” series, I examine the flow of time as both a force and ephemeral beauty. Much like Martin Scorsese’s film, where the past and present exist in a subtle interplay, my work meditates on the contrast between innocence and life experience. In my approach to capturing movement, I endeavor to create images that feel both timeless and transient, urging the viewer to pause and contemplate the profound allure of time as it elapses, moment by moment.

While capturing the series back in January 2024 in Paris, at Place Furstenberg, a quaint and romantic enclave of Saint Germain des Pres, I was reminded of the timeless essence of Chopin’s “Nocturnes” … especially in how his extraordinary mind intertwined yearning and melancholy with ephemeral beauty, akin to a gentle waltz between the past and the present. The flow in Chopin’s compositions often resembles a languid, graceful passage of time, invoking both nostalgia and the transient nature of existence. In a similar vein, my photography aspires to encapsulate moments imbued with that identical sense of delicate interplay, where youthful innocence and the wisdom of experience coexist in harmony.

As I progress beyond my own “Age of Innocence,” I recognize that time has bestowed upon me a new layer of wisdom and experience. This growth empowers me to approach my artistry with a deeper comprehension and a more intricate viewpoint. My current age, 56, along with the life I have led, I believe, enhances the depth and richness of my artistic vision — converting each image into a reflection not only of the captured instance but of the wisdom derived from witnessing life unfold over the years. Photography, for me, transcends mere observation; it is about imbuing each moment with the knowledge and emotional depth that stems from a lifetime of experiences.