the winner of the second Maurice de Mauriac x photo basel award 2024 is…

Hayley Eichenbaum

Hayley Eichenbaum is an interdisciplinary artist and director based in San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA.

Early performative and kinetic work analyzes Western social expectations of women: How they are expected to maintain and preserve themselves.

Current digital photography work expands on notions of the veneer. The focus now on exterior architecture and curated landscape. Specifically the remnants of the American Southwest, which reveal that a well-maintained façade is crucial to societal survival.

We sat down with Hayley and asked her a few questions

Dear Hayley, first of all congratulations for winning this year’s Maurice de Mauriac award.
What does this award mean to you? 

It is an incredible honor to be recognized by the Maurice de Mauriac Award. I look forward to using this momentum to push forward with a new series.

 
The series “the mother road” has a very personal, intimate title, can you tell us more about its origin and the story?

“The Mother Road” is the original nickname for Route 66. It was the first cross-country highway in The United States: The Mother of all highways. A powerful and feminine reference.

Yet it took on a much more personal meaning over my decade of documentation. It was the one road that directly connected me to my mother during her cancer treatment (a direct route from Los Angeles to the Chicago/Milwaukee area). Its meaning was initially metaphorical but eventually became literal.

You have kickstarted your career on Instagram – can you tell us a bit more about your professional development (going from instagram to a gallery like homecoming)?

I had studied at The San Francisco Art Institute (CA) and The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (WI). I majored in sculpture, with a focus on installation and performance. I minored in illustration. I come from a very eclectic creative background – yet photography was something I used only as a tool for documenting my other work. It wasn’t until post-graduation and Instagram’s emergence that I began experimenting with photography in a playful way.

And then I unexpectedly fell in love with the medium. That relationship became serious and being able to share it on Instagram was just a bonus.

 
What does it mean for you if your gallery exhibits your work at an international art fair?

I could not be more grateful. Homecoming Gallery has done an exceptional job of exposing my work to an audience that would have never seen it otherwise.  

Your work has garnered quite some attention not only in the press – do you happen to understand why people react so well on your body of work?

I do think my background in illustration and design helps me understand the consumer. Color and geometry – when done well – can go a long way. I also believe that the Americana dream and discourse fascinates many people, especially those who have only lived it through lore.

I have read somewhere that you have lost your creative counterpart in an accident – what made you pursue your creative goals despite going through a tough time?

I feel the need to create for the both of us now that he is physically gone. I survived that night. Without a doubt it is what he would have done had the roles been reversed. He was such a brilliant creator and he taught me so much about photography.

The least I can do is say his name – Zachary Swearingen – and share our work and pass on the lessons he blessed me with.

What career advice would you give to your younger self (if you could turn back the hands of time)?

I would advise my younger self to learn about business and entrepreneurship. It’s one thing to be a talented artist but it’s another thing to make it your entire career. I wish art schools would require business courses as a part of their curriculum. And if they don’t: Seek it out!

Hayley’s work can be seen at HomeComing Gallery booth #A7