Vivian Maier

[ldavidson]

You may have heard of this in art news, if not; this is an incredible story about the recently discovered work of an

unknown photographer, Vivian Maier. She was a street photographer in the 1950s – 1990s. I was absolutely blown

away be this, I think you will be too.

 

This is what street photography is all about.

 

 

 

[luis_g]

<p>Check with the archives next time to see if something has already been mentioned here. You're the 5th or 6th to bring this up. Great photographer, though.</p>

[wayne_campbell]

<p>I agree with the poster of this subject. Considering she was a weekend photgrapher her stuff is amazing, maybe up there with Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, etc. Another and somewhat similar (although grittier) photographer of the Chicago scene was Art Shay. He worked a lot with writer Nelson Algren on photo essays around Algren's neighborhoods.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://mocp.org/collections/permanent/uploads/Shay1984_21.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mocp.org/collections/permanent/shay_art.php&h=416&w=390&sz=55&tbnid=xrWsW2jnid2K1M:&tbnh=125&tbnw=117&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dart%2Bshays&zoom=1&q=art+shays&usg=__Hv0BHG4m8F7ATsQ73CKix0fOiwA=&sa=X&ei=B1g4TZqJFYj3gAem3ozwCA&ved=0CDgQ9QEwBg">http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://mocp.org/collections/permanent/uploads/Shay1984_21.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mocp.org/collections/permanent/shay_art.php&h=416&w=390&sz=55&tbnid=xrWsW2jnid2K1M:&tbnh=125&tbnw=117&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dart%2Bshays&zoom=1&q=art+shays&usg=__Hv0BHG4m8F7ATsQ73CKix0fOiwA=&sa=X&ei=B1g4TZqJFYj3gAem3ozwCA&ved=0CDgQ9QEwBg</a></p>

<p>All that being said, Vivian Maier's work is an astonishing revelation. Especially since we thought we had seen it all in terms of 1950's and 1960's and 1970's street photography and then this discovery emerges.</p>

[ldavidson]

Her images remind me a bit of Diane Arbus' work. Thanks for the link Wayne. Sorry Luis, I should have checked. I was up past my bed time.

[1815photography]

<p>You should check out the exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center (if you are in or near Chicago). There are also two blogs another website and a Flickr account set up by John Maloof, the gentleman that discovered her work at an auction.<br>

http://vivianmaierphotography.wordpress.com/<br>

http://www.vivianmaier.blogspot.com/<br>

http://www.vivianmaierphotography.com/<br>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55726459@N07/<br>

What a phenomenal story. Who knows what else is out there that we're missing.</p>

[jtk]

<p>I'd love to see her prints (online is no substitute), but it seems odd that there's so much surprise about "discovery" of a fine female photographer from Maier's era. I'm sure there were many. Does the fact that museums missed her demonstrate anything of significance, other than their deeply rooted misogyny (talk to museum directors to see where that comes from).</p>

<p>I think immediately of Imogene Cunningham (who I knew) and Tina Modotti, both of whom were insightful and active, tuned in to street-life and politics, and exhibited (rarely) long before the 50s. Google.</p>

[rossb]

<p> I wonder if she ever printed anything out. However it's a great story and I imagine we will be seeing more of the pictures over time. </p>

[fi_rondo1]

<p>There are plenty of fine women photographers, John... I wonder if the actual nature of street photography is more oriented toward men than women. Many of the women photographers I know have tried shooting on the street but almost all of them quit because they found it too confrontational or it made them too nervous. All of them (without exception) also shot with a long lens.</p>

<p>So far, John, you're the only one to mention that she's been classified as a "female photographer". That distinction never entered my mind nor has it entered into the conversations I've had with other photographers (nor has does it seem to have made a big fat diff to anyone on photo.net). She's simply a photographer, and a very good one, too.</p>

<p>This isn't to say that the museums or any such institution, etc., isn't inherently misogynist... but, John... the museums didn't "miss her"... there's no <em>significance</em> to your supposition... She never showed her work to anybody so it's sort of difficult to say that she was a victim of the times. In fact, her having been a woman might just work in her favor nowadays... you know, being 2011 with everyone being so, like, enlightened and stuff...</p>

[fxt]

<p>Thanks for the post .. very interesting !!!</p>

[richardsperry]

Test bump