Vivian Maier
All images by Vivian Maier. (from vivianmaierprints.com)
Self Portrait - Vivian Maier
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Self Portrait
Vivian Maier's work has always fascinated me.
Besides her mysterious, guarded life, her street photography demonstrates a
very extraordinary glimpse of Urban America in the second half of the
twentieth century. Her ability to capture the small details of everyday life in
her photographs reveals that this self-taught photographer had remarkable
talent. But what is most fascinating about Vivian Maier was that she wasn't
seeking fame or fortune. In fact, the few people that surrounded her barely
knew about her passion. After her passing, 100,000 negatives were found,
most of them shot in Chicago and New York City, in storage lockers stuffed
to the brim with found items of art books, newspaper clippings, and home
films.
Her day-job as a nanny provided Maier with the
ability to wander the streets with her children, capturing and recording
every-day life in America. She shot with a Rolleiflex camera, which
allowed Maier to capture photos that people rarely know were being shot. In
effect, many of these photos provide us with a real snapshot of that day and
time. She also played with the notion of "recording time", taping audio tapes and home-films of the people she photographed. I think her curiosity about people helped her develop her talent, where she could showcase the emotions and moments around her.
Maier's work was come across on accident, after her passing, when one of her
storage lockers was auctioned off due to diligent payments. Only then was her
massive collection of negatives discovered, which Maier has secretly collected
throughout her lifetime. Many of her photographs have been exhibited throughout
the world, from North America to Asia, and she has been the subject of many
books and documentary films. I recently had the chance to watch "Finding Vivian
Maier", a documentary about her life and photography, and I highly encourage anyone who would like to learn more to see it.
Bibliography:
Finding Vivian Maier - Documentary
http://www.vivianmaier.com/about-vivian-maier/
