Oeil Public closed yesterday

Paris based photo agency Oeil Public closed its doors today after announcing  going out of business in December last year. It had to make several members of staff redundant before the decision was made at the end of last year. On the 22nd of January it posted the following message on its website:

Dear friends,

Oeil Public photographers have made a decision to end the 15 years old agency’s story. We thank you all for your faithful support.

Oeil Public was a team of independant photographers, united through their involvment. And a tool adapting to its members’ practices to fight for their independance, their points of view, their freedom.

From its very first stories, Oeil Public photographers asserted their involvment to understand the world after a strong editorial line. They investigated for the press, giving priority to an in-depth approach over simple illustration.

Its photographers have permanently explored the ways of story-telling in documentary journalism. They such made Oeil Public a research lab and a united undertaking.

The press economic crisis has now made production of photo-stories impossible. Photojournalism practices have to be thought hard today.

Oeil Public is no longer fitted.

Oeil Public closes eyes today, to allow its members to keep theirs wide open.

See you soon…

Oeil Public

On its final day the agency posted this retrospective showcasing 15 years of work.