Photographers Maryam Eisler and Alexei Riboud, former high school classmates in Paris nearly 40 years ago, reunited in 2023 through a WhatsApp group and embarked on a creative challenge: photographing the same American Southwest landscapes side by side without sharing their images until the trip ended. The result is "West West," a book and exhibition at Pierre Yovanovitch's Manhattan gallery (June 12–July 11), curated by historian Carrie Scott and gallerist Howard Greenberg, featuring their work alongside iconic photographers like Diane Arbus, Joel Meyerowitz, and Ansel Adams.
This collaboration matters because it explores how two distinct artistic visions can emerge from the same subject matter, challenging notions of authorship and perception. The project highlights the enduring power of reconnection and trust, showing how creative partnerships can thrive when artists respect each other's independence. It also bridges documentary and stylized photography, offering fresh perspectives on the American West while placing contemporary voices in dialogue with historical masters.