Pierre Yovanovitch: On Design, Dialogue and the Myth of the American West
Photo credit: Eric Petschek
The New American West: Photography In Conversation
A Photo Exhibition Co-curated by Howard Greenberg and Carrie Scott
On view at Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier New York Gallery
June 12 - July 11, 2025
555 W 25th St 6th floor, New York, NY 10001
The New American West brings together an extraordinary lineup of photographers whose works collectively redefine the West, including Ansel Adams, Diane Arbus, Esther Bubley, Mark Citret, Bruce Davidson, Liliane de Cock, Maryam Eisler, Frank Gohlke, Jungjin Lee, Danny Lyon, Mary Ellen Mark, Joel Meyerowitz, Alexei Riboud, Dennis Stock, Edward Weston, and Wim Wenders.
1. What excited you about hosting an exhibition that brings new perspectives—like those of Maryam Eisler and Alexei Riboud—into dialogue with historic views of the American West?
What intrigued me was the friction—and harmony—between past and present. Eisler and Riboud aren’t simply revisiting the landscapes of the American West; they’re challenging how we’ve historically framed them. That dialogue with the iconic—Adams, Weston, Arbus—felt deeply meaningful in a design space like ours, where context is everything.
2. How does this mix of past and present enrich the story you're telling in your space?
It creates tension, which is essential in both photography and design. The juxtaposition of historic images with contemporary perspectives forces us to question our assumptions. It enriches the story by adding depth and dimension—it's no longer just nostalgia or commentary; it’s conversation.
3. Do you have a favorite historic piece in the show—one that still moves you?
There’s a photograph by Mary Ellen Mark that I keep coming back to—a portrait that manages to be both intimate and expansive. It reminds me of how design should function: capturing emotion, story, and setting in a single frame.
4. What is it about Eisler’s and Riboud’s work that speaks to you aesthetically?
There’s an elegant discipline to their work. Maryam's lens is expressive and narrative; Alexei’s is restrained and observational. I’m drawn to the contrast between the two—it mirrors the balance I often seek in my own design work: emotion versus control, presence versus restraint.
5. How do their images reflect or challenge your design philosophy?
Their photographs question what’s “natural” or “authentic,” which is something I often explore through form and material. I see their work as challenging the idea of permanence—what we consider timeless or true. That pushes me to think differently about how I construct environments.
6. In your view, how does this pairing of historic and contemporary photography shift how we see the American West?
It softens the myth and sharpens the reality. The West has always been a subject of fantasy—endless, untouched. This exhibition reframes it as something lived-in, layered, and deeply human. The contrast helps us see the West not as it was imagined, but as it exists—evolving, contradictory, beautiful.
7. As a designer, how do you see photography shaping the atmosphere of a room?
Photography is a quiet force. It can ground a room emotionally, or transport you somewhere else entirely. Like furniture, it holds presence—it’s not decoration, it’s dialogue. When chosen thoughtfully, a photograph sets the emotional temperature of a space
8. What was it like to hand over curatorial control? How did you collaborate to make it work in your space?
It was a pleasure. Howard and Carrie brought such clarity of vision. I focused on creating a spatial rhythm that allowed the photography to breathe—to have moments of intimacy and impact. It was a collaboration built on a respect for each other’s craft.
9. How do you think the idea of the American West lands with European visitors? Does it feel exotic, familiar, misunderstood?
It’s an interesting paradox. For many Europeans, the American West is both fantasy and fiction—a cinematic backdrop more than a real place. This show complicates that. It peels back the legend and reveals something more nuanced, more personal. That tension is what makes it compelling.
10. What do you want people to feel when they walk into this exhibition?
A sense of discovery. I want people to feel like they’ve entered a landscape that’s both familiar and strange—where every image offers a different lens, a different story. It’s about slowing down, reflecting, and allowing these works to reshape how we see a place so heavily mythologized.
Visit The New American West: Photography In Conversation at Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier New York Gallery until 11th July 2025.