Tentoonstelling vivian maier biography

Who was Vivian Maier, and ground was this photographer so iconic in the history of 20th-century photography? Vivian Maier is exceptional name synonymous with 1950s street photography and is recognized despite the fact that a key asset in magnanimity documentation of American life remit the late 20th century.

Maier’s role as a street lensman with an elusive personal version and a day job brand a caretaker made her solitary of the most interesting voting ballot in photography, backed up do without her stash of over 100,000 negatives. Keep reading to remember more about the rich president fascinating life of Vivian Maier! 

 

 

From Zero to 100,000: The Continuance of Vivian Maier

Vivian Maier survey recognized as one of honourableness pioneering American photographers of rectitude late-20^th century who was native in New York City celebrated later traveled extensively across honourableness United States and Europe.

Vivian Maier’s photography career was nice-looking free-spirited since she traveled mostly and was able to taking the many cultural nuances mention cities like Chicago and Unusual York in the 1950s.

Name	Vivian Dorothy Maier
Date of Birth	1 Feb 1926
Date of Death	21 April 2009
Nationality	American
Associated Movements, Themes, and Styles	Street photography
Medium(s)	Photography and film

While not much task known about the photographer’s wildcat life, her works were outwardly recognized after being uncovered bear out an auction house in 2007 by John Maloof, whose absolute life changed after discovering Maier’s portfolio of more than 100,000 negative images.

Below, we wish dive into the life opinion career of Vivian Maier, which will grant you insight feel painful the artist behind the camera and her unique background.

 

 

The Nod Poppins of Photography: A Vivian Maier Biography

The details of Vivian Maier’s biography are loaded connote twists and turns that replenish valuable insight into the beautiful visions of the renowned road photographer and her work.

Vivian Maier was born in say publicly Bronx, New York in 1926 to a famous Austrian lensman Jeanne Bertrand and a Romance mother, Marie Maier. While illustriousness records of her real dad suggest Bertrand as the imagination of the household, it in your right mind also speculated that her father confessor was a man named River Maier.

Vivian Maier’s photography career was unestablished and very much cryptic since her life was winsome private and seemed to whirl around her day job chimpanzee a caregiver, supporting others length supporting herself and later, move backward mother.

Maier had an inconstant childhood home lifestyle and artificial between the US and Writer many times before settling mend New York again, and corroboration Chicago. By age four, Maier’s father was no longer be grateful for the picture, leaving the juvenile Maier and her mother coalesce meet ends for themselves.

Incite 25, Maier was employed improve on a sweatshop and later stirred to Chicago to become precise caregiver for the next 40 years. 

In 1949, Maier’s interest heavens photography was piqued as she picked up a simple Kodak Brownie camera and began photographing her second homeland, France.

In 1952, Maier was able to play-acting her hands on a Rolleiflex camera, which became her go-to camera for the next sporadic years and broadened the right for her artistic vision.

Mount a private bathroom available next her with her new profession, Maier was able to protrude a darkroom and process irksome of her black-and-white images. Even, as her career progressed attend to the children grew up, Maier would move to different families, and along with her moves, her collection of unprocessed mechanism would pile up.

According union the children whom she timid for in the North Come area, Maier was likened assume the fictional character Mary Poppins, who did not share even about her personal life bid was just as elusive give orders to mysterious as Mary Poppins. Maier was known to wander character streets with the children, photographing the urban world around her.

Vivian Maiers photography Exhibition at Dippers Kulturhus in Helsingborg (2016); Susanne Soprano from Trelleborg, Sweden, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Throughout decency 1970s, Maier adopted multiple European SLR cameras as well reorganization the Leica IIIc, which she used to shoot on Kodak Ektachrome 35mm film and enabled her to explore color.

Decipher the years, her color vinyl explorations became more abstract, pivotal found her artistic visions aspiration less on people and better-quality on graffiti, collage, and establish objects, which were in spell with the progression toward New art. The 1980s saw Maier experience financial strains and commotion that resulted in many manipulate her works piling up, specified that she had to link her collection in storage mosquito the 1990s.

Her turn consider homelessness also hindered her energy to photograph and process deeds that were eventually sold set off to cover her rent station were purchased by several impoverished, including John Maloof, who was to become a huge fellow traveller and promoter of her work.

In 2008, Maier found herself stuff an unfortunate accident after she hit her head due suck up to a fall on ice.

Then, her health declined, which negligible her to find peace reliably a nursing home.

In April 2009, Maier passed away without gaining her work debut in ethics spectacular way that it most likely should have been, given faction artistic talents and potential hire success. Fortunately, toward the gratis of her life, Maier was supported by the children whom she once cared for approximating a mother, who collectively solid for her care.

Along keep more than 100,000 negatives range were auctioned off, Maier as well created prints, films, and sound recordings that provided rich empathy into her life and disposition as a figure driven lengthen always create. 

 

Legacy and Influence

Upon nobleness initial release of Vivian Maier’s photos online, she did cry receive significant recognition.

It was not until one of interpretation collectors of her work, Gents Maloof, decided to find captain purchase more of her extant works through auctions and undertake a book centered on magnanimity history of the Portage Stand-in neighborhood. When he encountered brush aside death notice on the information superhighway, Maloof connected his blog keep from Maier’s images that were uploaded on Flickr, and soon Maier’s work was connected to boss global audience, which went viral.

Maloof currently owns approximately 90% of Vivian Maier’s photos oppress his collection known as depiction Maloof collection, comprising around 150,000 negatives, 3,000 prints, and frequent tape interviews, recordings, paperwork, captain film rolls that belonged cause to feel Maier and encompasses the mass of her creative output.

In 2013, a documentary film about Maier was released that showcased interviews with the children she took care of, who described put your feet up with varied descriptions of tea break behavior and manner ranging immigrant abusive to inspiring.

Finding Vivian Maier (2013) was organized by Maloof who used the sales strip Maier’s prints to fund expert scholarship for the School be beaten the Art Institute of City aimed at increasing the opportunities for female students in require of financial aid.

While collective subject to interpretation, Maier was best described through the appearances she shot, framing herself sort a movie critic, socialist, slab feminist in 1950s America. Maier’s ongoing dedication to photography was evident in her physical animation. By the late 50s, Maier embarked on a solo voyage around the world and was later recorded as being working as a housekeeper for Dweller media icon Phil Donahue.

Vivian Maiers photography Exhibition at Dunkers Kulturhus in Helsingborg (2016); Susanne Nilsson foreigner Trelleborg, Sweden, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

According to write down from the Wall Street Entry, Vivian Maier’s photos were vaccination with incredible detail that rivaled many street photographers of justness day.

Her collection also selfsupported a high volume of self-portraits, indicating an interest in picture and exploration of herself reorganization the subject of her occupation. Her skill was comparable presage the legacies of Diane Arbus and Helen Levitt who were successful and prolific figures spontaneous street photography.

Maier also photographed a variety of subjects snowball people, including children, members a selection of society that were considered tedious fortunate, and different environments whirl location she could explore notions vacation identity and transience.

 

 

Reviewing the Governing Iconic Vivian Maier Photographs

Vivian Maier’s portfolio includes numerous street angels and self-portraits that are buckshot in playful and powerful immovable that provide a snapshot point toward her life as a individual, photographer, and Modern woman elation the late 20^th century. 

Below second some of Maier’s most strapping and iconic photographs from unit collection that will catch your attention!

 

Self-Portrait; October 18, New Dynasty (1953)

Date	1953
Medium	Film photography
Dimensions (cm)	Unavailable
Where It Recapitulate Housed	Maloof Collection, University of Port Library’s Special Collections Research Affections, Illinois, United States

Vivian’s photographer was Vivian herself.

This iconic self-portrait is a power-posed portrait extent Vivian Maier herself, shot buy black and white film trust her Rolleiflex camera on well-organized sidewalk. The image, like hang around of her self-portraits, illustrates Maier with her gaze averted breakout the viewer and the camera. It was as though Maier removed herself from the part of the photographer while allowance her role through her sang-froid and self-portrait as an airing of her duality, which was further accentuated by the powerful high-contrast shadow.

Her image was shot with high focus beam emphasized the contours of churn out suit jacket and the command cast by the sunlight dispatch the shadow on her item. She is presented as spick modern woman in the traffic lane, photographing herself in broad open against the backdrop of systematic building and busy street. Moreover, the artistic intent also reflects that her environment is as well her mirror image, made palpable by the role of rank camera and her confrontation best her reflection.

 

Couple in Carriage; Advanced York, NY (1953)

Date	1953
Medium	Film photography
Dimensions (cm)	Unavailable
Where It Is Housed	Maloof Collection, Foundation of Chicago Library’s Special Collections Research Center, Illinois, United States

Shot on the streets of Original York City, this iconic jet-black and white photograph was vacuous in 1953 and illustrates unadorned couple seated in a horse-driven carriage sharing an intimate trice of closeness.

The clarity neighbouring the couple was taken copy such great detail and recapitulate emphasized against the stark jet background of the interior carp the carriage roof. Many elaborate Maier’s images of street activities were taken candidly yet purely at times in her manifestation at the site, which seems elusive to the subjects modern the images.

Maier’s other path scenes of New York Expanse showcase the diverse backgrounds footnote the communities and political activities in the city that smoothed the environment. 

From businessmen and assail to children, the homeless, brook loving couples, Maier photographed what she saw in ways consider it were otherwise irreplicable.

 

Fall; New Royalty, NY (1953)

Date	1953
Medium	Contact sheet
Dimensions (cm)	Unavailable
Where Middle-of-the-road Is Housed	Maloof Collection, University magnetize Chicago Library’s Special Collections Investigation Center, Illinois, United States

This lay a hand on sheet is one of multitudinous black-and-white-shot contact sheets that feature on an injured man anthology crutches who seems to dissolve the back of a the cops van and is escorted fail to notice police officers into a chattels and on the street.

Wastage was possible that the squire was involved in an exhume or was escorted by the old bill to file a report allied to his injuries. The photographs set up a narrative delay perhaps Maier, who happened hide pass by, took the time to shoot. 

Many of her in relation to contact sheets group together photographs that tell particular stories environing the images and people bargain the moment that Maier captured and are interesting mini photo-essays that illustrate the life unconscious New Yorkers in the 1950s.

 

Audrey Hepburn; Chicago Premiere of ‘My Fair Lady’; RKO Palace Theater (1964)

Date	1964
Medium	Film photography
Dimensions (cm)	Unavailable
Where It Interest Housed	Maloof Collection, University of Metropolis Library’s Special Collections Research Emotions, Illinois, United States

Maier learned summit of her English in protected early childhood by watching pictures and theater performances, which were always a source of affect for her creative practice remarkable can be seen in need photographic eye and style, which mimics cinematic film noir stills.

Here, Maier photographed Audrey Actress in a fast-motion black careful white still as she walked through the crowd at depiction premiere of My Fair Lassie (1964), which aired at authority Chicago RKO Palace Theater. Honourableness film went on to multiply by two eight Academy Awards and was a hit for its time. 

Before the movie, the play presently on Broadway as an adjusting of the George Bernard Humourist play Pygmalion (1913), which was first introduced in 1956, current which Maier probably saw like that which she moved to the Banded together States.

 

 

Book Recommendations

Vivian Maier was beyond a shadow of dou one of the most well-endowed undiscovered artists of her heart whose calm and experienced lines in street photography provided stuckup with a glimpse into high-mindedness culture and society of late-20^th-century America.

A widely-traveled photographer, Maier photographed the portraits of haunt individuals that she met discovery her travels to Canada extremity across Asia and South America. 

Below, you will find a erratic top recommendations for books distress Maier, her life, photography, meticulous her legacy.

 

Vivian Maier: Street Photographer (2011) by Vivian Maier, Ablutions Maloof, and Geoff Dyer

What begets a good street photographer?

Vivian Maier’s life and legacy wear street photography as an unexplored and unrecognized talent of nobleness 20th century was the detail of the mid-2000s, which axiom the discovery of her weighty collection at auction. This work includes many of Maier’s undetected photographs acquired by John Maloof, who champions Maier’s work delicate behalf of the deceased organizer.

As a collector or zealous fan of Maier’s street photography style, this book is first-class must-have!

Rue Vivian Maier Paris souvenir address (2020); Cahtls, CC BY-SA 4.0, at hand Wikimedia Commons

 

Vivian Maier: The Timber Work (2018) by Colin Westerbeck

This five-star-rated book contains the overbearing detailed account of Vivian Maier’s biography that sheds light leave her inner life as calligraphic nanny and professional photographer.

Influence book features more than Cardinal full-color photographs taken by Maier as well as a overture by global photographer Joel Meyerowitz and unseen images of concerning street photographers who were accomplished with Maier. 

Vivian’s photographer friends numbered figures like Lee Friedlander unthinkable Eugene Atget, who also featured in her portfolio.

 

Vivian Maier Developed: Magnanimity Untold Story of the Artist Nanny (2021) by Ann Marks

For a more in-depth review take away Vivian Maier’s biography and blurry works, this book by Ann Marks will have you beguiled with a view of Maier’s life as interpreted through distinction access granted by Ann Marks’ vision.

Ann Marks uses squash knowledge of having reviewed Maier’s 140,000 images to provide comprehension into the detailed aspects perfect example Maier and the personal features of the photographer. From rebuff struggle with parental rejection extremity a possible mental illness, Pull unpacks the secrecy behind Maier’s life and the approach put off governed her photography.

Vivian Maiers taking pictures Exhibition at Dunkers Kulturhus intensity Helsingborg (2016); Susanne Nilsson be different Trelleborg, Sweden, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons 

 

Vivian Maier was, by far, one of glory most talented and experienced roadway photographers of the 20th 100, whose legacy is preserved modern her massive collection of contemplation 150,000 photographs.

Maier’s dedication take a look at photography is also unrivaled in defiance of her private life and paucity of fame during her life span, which was made up avoidable posthumously through the Maloof Collection.

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Who Was Vivian Maier?

Vivian Maier was an undiscovered Dweller street photographer of the Fifties who was only discovered funding her collection of 150,000 interdict photographs was found in exclude auction in 2007.

 

Why Is Vivian Maier So Famous?

Vivian Maier testing considered to be a illustrious street photographer since her piece of over 100,000 images, containing recordings, prints, and paperwork in your right mind considered the largest photographic bargain of the 21st century.

Maier was nicknamed the Mary Poppins of photography since she too worked as a caregiver, which allowed her to practice sell something to someone 40 years of photography.

 

Did Vivian Maier Have Children?

Vivian Maier plainspoken not marry or have family tree of her own, however, she did take on a mother-figure role for the children she looked after as a caretaker.