Website : https://www.eyeofisis.fr/
Etsy shop : https://www.etsy.com/fr/shop/EyeofisisUrbex
Instagram account : https://www.instagram.com/eyeofisis.photographie/
Facebook account : https://www.facebook.com/eyeofisis.photographie
Email : alexandre@eyeofisis.fr
Telephone : +33 6-86-20-63-02
Behind “Eye of Isis” we find Alexandre. He lives in Strasbourg in Alsace [France]. He creates breathtaking photographic artworks in abandoned places whose beauty has no equal. These photographs sometimes include models evoking a temporal break between the characters present.
In life, his passions are photography, history and architecture. His goal is to capture a visual harmony that is as elegant as possible. Through his work, he seeks to express an allegorical and poetic representation of existence as well as its limits in space-time. Capturing these unique fleeting moments is made almost eternal. For him, perfection is only a utopia, and the time a race. All that remains is to savor every second, as much as our sensitivity allows us…
OJL : Hello Eye of Isis.
Eye of Isis : Hello.
OJL : Four quick questions before getting to the heart of the matter.
As you live in Strasbourg, can you tell us what your favourite café is there ? And what do you like to take there ?
Eye of Isis : My favourite café is a brasserie. It is called “La brasserie Boëhm”. And I like to drink there a good local white beer.
OJL : And what is your favourite park or place ?
Eye of Isis : I enjoy walking and getting some fresh air in the Orangerie park in Strasbourg. And I like to walk and stroll around the Neustadt district. This district has an eclectic architectural style very characteristic of the end of the 19th century. Being classified as a UNESCO world heritage site, I advise the readers to discover it.
OJL : Next, what was the last book you read ? And the last song you listened to ?
Eye of Isis : _Regarding to the book: It is obviously a photo book. Which is “Senza parole” by Marc Lagrange. Otherwise I’m not a big reader to tell the truth…
_Regarding to the song: “I want to break free” by Queen.
OJL : Finally, do you have a quote and/or proverb that you like ?
Eye of Isis : “We have all the life to have fun. We have all the death to rest” by Georges Moustaki.
OJL : Let’s talk a little about you now. How could you introduce yourself ?
Eye of Isis : Good question (laughs). I am a man who likes to enjoy life. A bit epicurean. And adventurer too (laughs).
OJL : Who are the artists who shaped you ? Who struck you down ?
Eye of Isis : Marc Lagrange (quoted above) greatly impressed and influenced me. But also the essential Helmut Newton. And Robert Capa of course. As far as photography is concerned anyway.
OJL : How did you choose your pseudonym ? You know that at OJL we really like Isis (wink).
Eye of Isis : This was the result of a very long reflection with my partner. We had to find a name with a link to photography. So eye seemed adequate…
Then I was looking for a word with a historical side. To describe places with a certain character. And my wife being a fan of Egyptology, we came to think of the goddess Isis. Besides, it turns out that I met my wife in Paris and that the name of Paris is linked to the tribe of “Par Isis”.
About the logo, since I am of the astrological sign Taurus and Isis has ox horns in her attributes. I used one of her symbols with these famous horns, but I replaced the Moon in its center with a diaphragm. And that gave this logo… which looks pretty good (smile).
OJL : Let’s talk a little about your work now. What are you creating ?
Eye of Isis : Photographic works.
OJL : How can you define your style ?
Eye of Isis : Nostalgic. Poetic. Gracious. Refined and original.
OJL : What techniques do you use ?
Eye of Isis : I use a Sony “Alpha 7 R IV” hybrid camera. And as a lens I use an ultra wide angle from the Sigma 14-24mm f1/2.8 brand.
I also use cobra flashes. In order not to bring too heavy equipment to the site. I try to use the available light as much as possible in order to convey the atmosphere on site.
OJL : Can we place you a personalized order ?
Eye of Isis : Absolutely. Firstly, regarding to my work, the customer can choose the dimensions he wants. The support. And the coaching. Secondly, if a person would like a tailor-made photograph, feel free to contact me.
OJL : What is Urbex ?
Eye of Isis : The term Urbex was born from the contraction of “Urban” and “Exploration” for “Urban Exploration” in the language of Shakespeare (laughs). This involves exploring places that have been abandoned for more or less a long time. Most of the time, these places are difficult to access and dangerous. Of course, there are a multitude of different categories of places: castles, manors, churches, industrial wastelands, public buildings, etc. But those that fascinate me the most are castles and character buildings, which tell us about even more intriguing stories. We want to know why such prestigious places could have fallen into oblivion… However, all these places are jealously kept secret in order to preserve them in their original state for as long as possible. Indeed, urbexers follow a strict rule: “Don’t break anything, don’t steal anything, don’t leave anything behind, other than these footprints and maybe a few photos”…
OJL : Very interesting. What is your goal ?
Eye of Isis : My goal is to discover little-known universes and to immortalize this passage in time. Have you ever dreamed of being able to travel through time ? I invite you to discover a sample of these intriguing places through my photographs.
The places I go to experience suffering, endure time, just like everything around us.
Having always been passionate about history, I participate in my own way in that of these tormented places, which once knew glory and opulence. These forgotten buildings whisper, reveal or hide what they experienced. Their daily adornment expresses the prose of time… It is a certain form of memory, calm, silent and yet majestic.
I feel privileged to be able to rub shoulders with these walls, and observe the work of time. In my approach, I strive to bring out what is touching about the places and to highlight the scene that I discover. Indeed, what I am told each time is “Not to let the present slip away”…
OJL : It’s very touching… And very deep. Do you have a story about the creation of one of your products ? Or one of your sales ?
Eye of Isis : Yes, but which one to quote (laughs). What can happen is to come face to face with a real estate agent… Well, it’s not dramatic. What can be more complicated is coming across a guard or the owner. And the worst of the worst is when this situation happens and you are accompanied by a model (laughs) !
OJL : Indeed, it must be a bit special… Last question. You definitely have friends who are doing amazing things ! If you want to promote them a little, now is the time !
Eye of Isis : Indeed. I would like to quote three friends who love photography:
_Matthieu: Photographer wore: https://www.instagram.com/matoumkd/
_Armelle & Johan: Photography linking urbex and yoga: https://www.instagram.com/yoga_urbex/
_Jean-Pascal: Urbex photographer: https://www.instagram.com/jotafc_photography/
OJL : Bravo for what you do. May Our Lady [Isis] protects you.
Eye of Isis : Thank you.
Alpha Centauri
