Anne-Lise Broyer's 'Journal de l’œil' Explores Bataille Through Photography

French photographer Anne-Lise Broyer's series 'Journal de l’œil (les globes oculaires)' is on view at Galerie Folia in Paris until September 7, 2019, and will be published as a book by Loco and Nonpareilles in mid-October. The series, created between 2009 and 2019, translates the writings of Georges Bataille into images. Broyer began with a prologue inspired by Pierre Michon's 'Le Roi du bois' and Bataille's 'Le Coupable,' leading to earlier works published as 'Au Roi du bois' by Filigranes. The title references Bernard Noël's 'Journal du regard' and Bataille's 'Histoire de l’œil,' which was nearly titled 'Les Globes oculaires.' The series includes photographs from various locations, such as Nemi, London, Paris, New York, and the Isle of Wight. Broyer uses color for the first time, alongside black-and-white, to evoke blood red, sky blue, and other hues. The book features essays by Léa Bismuth, Mathilde Girard, Yannick Haenel, Muriel Pic, and Bertrand Schmitt. A last-minute image of Notre-Dame Cathedral burning was added, referencing Bataille's father's death in Reims. The book will be launched at the Centre Pompidou bookstore on October 17, 2019, and presented at MAD (Multiple Art Days) in Paris on September 6–8. Broyer's works are also at the Musée Delacroix until September 30, alongside Laurent Pernot and Jérôme Zonder.