Aileen Bordman’s passion for Monet and Giverny began with her mother, Dame Helen Rappel Bordman (1932-2020), one of a small group of dedicated Americans responsible, alongside French authorities and benefactors, for the renaissance of Monet’s garden and home. For four decades, Aileen was a frequent visitor – and for 30 years she photographed the gardens restored as Monet had envisioned them. Now an exhibition of her work is on display through May 3 at the Leila Heller Gallery in New York. A+A recently interviewed both Heller and Bordman via email:

Some background on Ms. Bordman, please:

Drawing upon her special ties to Giverny, Aileen Bordman came to know every square inch of the garden at every time of day. Her mother was awarded the Chevalier, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, by the French Minister of Culture in 2017, in recognition of her contribution to French culture, a rarity for an American. In honor of Claude Monet.

Aileen Bordman now carries the baton, bringing the world of Claude Monet to all. In addition to her work as a photographer, Bordman is an author, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. Her two best-selling books, Monet’s Palate Cookbook: The Artist & His Kitchen Garden at Giverny Gibbs Smith, 2015), with a foreword by Meryl Streep, and Everyday Monet (Harper Collins, 2018), feature Aileen Bordman’s photography as well as extensive information about the artist and his life. Bordman’s acclaimed documentary film Monet’s Palate – A Gastronomic View from the Gardens of Giverny, examines the connection between fine art and fine cuisine as seen through the eyes of Claude Monet. Meryl Streep’s opening narration takes the viewer through the region of Normandy and Monet’s home garden. The film includes interviews with art historian Joachim Pissarro, Chefs Alice Waters, Daniel Boulud, and Roger Vergé. Screened from Cannes to New York, the film was featured during the exhibition, Monet’s Garden, held at the New York Botanical Garden in 2012 and was distributed nationally by American Public Television on PBS, where it can still be viewed.

Bordman’s work has been featured in Forbes Magazine, New York Magazine, The New York Times, and USA Today, among other international publications. Bordman has lectured about Claude Monet and the gardens at Giverny at museums and cultural venues throughout the United States, including the 92nd Street Y, Kimbell Art Museum, the Nassau County Museum of Art, The Norton Museum of Art, and The New York Botanical Garden.

The cameras and lenses this photographer uses?  

With a technique founded in twentieth century photography, I use a variety of Sony cameras, always fitted with Zeiss lenses (the same brand that Monet himself used in his spectacles).

The intent of this exhibition?

I feel privileged to have experienced a significant portion of my life surrounded by the magic of Claude Monet’s world, and my intention is to channel the breathtaking charm and impressionist essence of Giverny into my photography, echoing the very spirit Monet instilled in his art. Lastly, I want to share the joy and happiness that the world Monet created.

Your target audience?

Individuals who have experienced Monet’s Garden firsthand, and those eager to bring its enchanting beauty into their own personal sanctuary.

What makes Money’s work at Giverny so enduring?

Monet’s masterpieces have a timeless appeal, touching our hearts and minds while inspiring a sense of enchantment and delight – feelings I seek to convey through my photographic perspective on Giverny. The birth of Impressionism through Claude Monet, and its focus of changing light and the accessibility of his subject matter, has continuing mass appeal.

For more, go here.