Vivian Maier is such an interesting person! She is a prime example of someone who makes art purely for the enjoyment of the art itself. She didn't want to be in the limelight and if she didn't keep her work secret, she would have quickly become well known because her work speaks for itself!!
I have a mindset I call, the Zen of No Expectation. Where you compete or create without considering victory or payment - only the pursuit of joy and excellence. To me, Vivian embodies the pure pursuit of art and questioning the world, for no other reason than she had to. There was no pretense. Thank you for making this video, Vivian and her work should be discussed and taught, everytime I see it I'm floored... Peace-
Great, great video. Vivian Maier was a great photographer. I’ve heard all the naysaying- she was someone blessed with a good eye who just took snaps; she had no formal training, so how could she be a true photographer; her work had no real theme. The sad thing is many of these comments (and others) come from known professionals in the photography world. No one knows what was in her head when she took the pictures, but I love your take on what her theme might have been, that it was “ what it means to be human”. The work speaks for itself, Vivian Maier was a great photographer, end of story.
I wanted to include that in the video because I've read that indeed Jeanne Bertrand possibly taught Vivian how to take photos and specially portraits / landscapes which were mainly what she shot at first. And it is true that according to a 1930 census Vivian and her mum were living with Jeanne, however, I also fond the opposite, that Jeanne didn't influence her and possibly that those are just speculations. So I guess I have to go with "incognito" on that one, there's so many things we don't know. If I had to say wether Jeanne helped or not I would possibly say 60% yes, but because I wasn't 100% confident on that I didn't mention it in the video.
@@TatianaHopper ,'' But even if Bertrand was an early influence, it must also be noted that Bertrand was a portrait photographer. Vivian first picked up a camera in the southern French Alps in about 1949. The photographs she took were controlled portraits and landscapes. The odds are strong that Vivian might have been taught by Jeanne Bertrand" www.vivianmaier.com/about-vivian-maier/
@@jgaffney567 yes that’s pretty much what I was saying with my previous comment, I think it’s simply an amazing detail adding even more to Vivian’s story.
I’ve never understood the controversy around her work. To me, her images have always been inspiring on both a creative and technical level. Her work stands on its own regardless of the backstory.
Well, morally, I think it had to do with the fact that she possibly might've not wanted her work to be shown or published. Plus it is the artist's right to edit their work and what Maloof and the other collector did was to publish sequences of images that she might've not possibly be okay with. They were not edited or reviewed by her, so it means it was all done without the artists' consent, meaning, exhibitions, prints and books were sold without a consent and proper authorisation as well. Needless to say, the collectors' intentions are questioned because prior to this "Vivian enterprise," they weren't really connected with photography on a serious level (galleries, photographers, photography lovers...), and so it is speculated wether they saw a "golden opportunity" here, especially because her negatives were found by Maloof two years before she passed away. Also legally, you can own the negatives of someone's archive / portfolio but you do not own the rights to commercialise the images, which is why lawsuits were brought against collectors some I believe by the Vivian Maier estate which was run by I believe distant heirs and other executors that were essentially not okay with this propaganda of her work. And so the collectors had to settle with them financially. And to conclude, one of the biggest issues I believe {from what I read} is that Vivian died in poverty and she struggled with money, the lack of it, for many years, which makes it all even more questionable, although to me personally I believe its just sad, that someone else might now take financial advantage of her work, although it also highlights that she did it all because she truly loved photography. Unfortunately, these are the ways of the world. And I hope this in a way helped understanding the controversies surrounding her work.
Thanks for the well reasoned and thoughtful response T. I agree about the legal and ethical issues being very questionable(the rights of her family especially). But wether she intended for them to be seen or not, the world is a better place with those images in it. When all of this news broke years ago, some critics questioned the artistic value of her work. That’s more what I was referring to and what I couldn’t understand at the time. All of these issues make the enjoyment of her work bittersweet for me I guess. I’m no art critic but I think her work ranks up there with street/documentary legends. And thank you for these videos, I really enjoy your artist profiles!
@@TatianaHopper T, I was going to make your point about her wanting to have her work published. That came out in another article I read about her within the last couple of days where the point about her being a very private person was made quite strongly. Vivian had been nanny to one of the people interviewed in the article. Having said that, I very much admire her images and only wish that my film (film - never analogue, thank you very much!) images were anywhere near as good as hers. Keep up the good work, G in NZ.
@@TatianaHopper I remember there was a Vivian Maier exhibition at my local art museum a few years back. I loved seeing her work, but I also felt guilty about being there for these reasons that you brought up.
@@oceansquatch1481 completely agree with you, I’m not art critic either but I guess that her work speaks more to me than some other that has been heavily praised by the media / art world. Appreciate you for watching and supporting the channel! Peace ✌🏻
She was clearly very very talented All these images reflect what she saw and importantly what caught her attention. She had no peer pressure, no one was judging her images so she never carried that burden. Vivian's legacy is a portfolio of images that depict the true essence of the 1950's & 60's in the USA. Fantastic research and bravo on a great presentation.....
I got into analog photography because of her. I saw one of her self portrait and I fell in love with her style. Thanks Tatiana for this video. (You should check Sergio Larrain’s photography , he’s really good and unique)
I just watched the documentary yesterday so seeing this video is great timing as you summed up Vivian and her work very impeccably. Would love to see a video like this on Robert Frank or Marry Ellen mark. Also really loved the video itself, beautifully edited & it gave such a nice relaxing vibe. 🤍
Thank you so much, appreciate it, I did try a new approach to this video so I'm happy its getting positive feedback, for sure will try and bring more of this. And Robert Frank / Mary Ellen Mark are for sure on my list.
While it was sad that she wasn't discovered until after her death; it is good that her work was discovered by mere chance, that we've been able to enjoy seeing into her world and for us to see her via the ciné film alive. She wasn't a beautiful woman; there's nothing wrong with that, but she made up for that through her imagery... I feel she would not have taken kindly to the interest in her if she was still here today... A private person. Here's another ‘discovery’ in the street photographers world for you too check out... Robert Blomfield (Robert Blomfield Edinburgh, 1957 - 1966) you might like feature… PS I have two albums of her work…
ohhh Robert Blomfield, I remember reading an article on the irish times about him, yes, thank you for reminding me of him! And yes I agree with your take on Vivian!
Such a beautiful and thoughtful vid, and worthy of its subject. Thank you. I haven’t closely followed VM’s work since the documentary premiered, but thought I knew her work - but almost all these are new to me. She might be the greatest street photographer who ever lived.
Excellent vid! 👍 Hers is truly one of the great stories in the history of photography. Her work speaks for itself; on a par with the work of Robert Frank, IMO. Truly exquisite! ✌🧡
Wow. After documentaries, articles, news segments, countless RUclipsrs and photographer convos - I feel like this was a complete reintroduction to Vivian Maier and her work. The way you want to be introduced to someone and their work. Like stepping out of a noisey party for a smoke and having a real look at someone. Well done, Tatiana.
Thank you John, appreciate your words and love the comparison with the party, that's exactly how I felt doing this video, I was overwhelmed with information and I really left some of it behind and just tried to process with my mind and feelings what I was seeing.
Terrific analysis of this amazing person’s work. We’re all better off for being able to admire her photography, even under a less than optimal situation
This work is born from your deep passion, and love. And you helped me to realize how much I love photography, and art. I'm so grateful for you, thank you for your amazing work. ❤, from Hungary! :)
I've watched another documentary on her and I find the human aspect of who Vivian was (imperfect, mean, abusive, kind, odd, hopeful, etc.) Super interesting when you compare it to her photography. Any given photo of hers is like a piece of music, containing different aspects of her life and experiences, through light, shape, balance. etc. Very interesting individual.
For me photography should always start, and hopefully continue to be, for yourself. It should not be a thing where we bend to suit the desires of other people. When it becomes that you are not being true to yourself and something is inevitably lost. Something that I don't think happened to Vivian Maier, which is one of the many reasons her work is so beautiful.
Thank you for your excellent video. It seems ironic that, in the case of a gifted artist who pursued virtual anonymity, we have trouble looking at her work without getting into detective work about who she was, or ethical arguments about the propriety of showing her work, or legal arguments about who owns it.
Wow wow wow. First time here. That rocked my world. The emotion and feelings coming through this story and her work. Powerful. Kudos to you too, great work here
Her work is incredible. Along with Cartier-Bresson, she's my fave. I can look at her photography over and over and still feel the same emotions I experienced when I looked at them for the first ever time.
This is such a great video on Ms Maier. In my opinion, she is one of the truly great photographers. When the RUclips/ Photographers / Us / Me are all consumed with what Instagram is going to do - we forget to invest ourselves in improving ourselves & our work. Many many thanks.
Thank you for this interesting presentation - New and thought provoking take on an overtold story - No ethical dimensions to publicising the collection, dozens of passers by would have seen the people and experienced the same events at exactly the same moment as VM - They may have stored this information in their memory cells for later recall - Vivian just just stored in a different manner and, intentionally or not, gave us all the chance to be present at those special happenings..
The whole film (Finding Vivian Maier) is a must see. Also, I just got the book _*Vivian Maier Developed: The Untold Story of the Photographer+_ by Ann Marks that expands on her story. Read the free peek fron Amazon and it's hooking.
She's my favorite photographer because she reminds me of jesus... not a Christian but, she didn't want fame, or attention. She didn't even tell anyone she was a photographer.. Jesus also didn't want fame, told others not to tell anyone what he did for them... I to want to become this type of photographer.
Hi. Nice editorial. You said she asked a friend to make some prints of her work. I wonder, how could she shoot so many images but not print them? Aren’t they negative images if they are not printed? Another question her images are so well lighted and composed in the frame. Was this all done in-camera? That would be a testament to her craft if so. I know Ansel Adams spent a lot of time manipulating his images post shoot in the darkroom. Thanks
On of the most amazing street photographers ever! Can I also recommend the wonderful Tish Murtha to you if you’ve not already discovered her … another beautiful visionary lost too soon. Her daughter is approachable and I’m sure will speak to you …
After everything I've seen and read (after all this time) I still can't wrap my head around her leaving behind so much undeveloped film. It's probably not for us to know why, right? Great video!
Also Gary Winogrand, he died suddenly, so a little different, but he left behind about 200,000 undeveloped images. Both were addicted, they just HAD to shoot.
абсолютно гениальный фотограф, которая практически всё умела и могла со своим Роллейфлексом, единственно, что она так и не научилась делать профессионально это печатать свои замечательные фотографии. Был на выставке в Лос Анжелесе, где наряду с современыми принтами ее работ (очень хорошими) были выставлены и ее оригинальные вполне себе любительские принты. Но тем не менее она одна из столпов американской документальной фотографии.
I was told of her some years ago but what was told to me was that she was a nanny who would go around the city and take pictures and it wasn’t until her death her photos became very famous along with her. What I do is very similar to what she did but let me make this very clear I am not a Vivian Maier. I do walk around with a camera or two and take photos just things I find interesting or strange or even more for historical purposes like buildings that are going to be destroyed and new ones going up. I do like to have photos of things and places and people because there is always change around us. I tell people I am not taking photos for now but for the future to look back on and see where we were and where we are now and I don’t to bad of a job only because people will come up to me and ask me if I took a picture of this or that some years ago and they would like to see them. I guess it brings back memories for all of us even though some may be sad but hoping that it makes us happy. I am truly fascinated with her and her great work and believe there should be more Vivian Maier’s in this world.
Very interesting video but just so you know she didn't sell her photos. She kep them in a storage unit and didn't have the money to pay the rent and was too old and ill to deal with it. So it was selled at an auction. Sorry for my english and thanks for the video
…And I don't want the world to see me 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand When everything's made to be broken I just want you to know who I am… My guess is that she knew if she came out ppl would be asking her all sorts of stupid questions maybe she knew she was trapped in her own timeline and if fame touched her she might end up hating what she did, i think she planned to let us all see her work since the beginning because she knew it was good of course she did I can almost see her looking at her work and thinking that someday somewhere sometime ppl would be enjoying her work like we are now, what she did allowed her work to remain pure, untouched you wanna ask her questions I think all the answers are right there if you take the time to really look at it 👍
Her work may have not been that well recognised if it was published in the era she took her 50s / 60s photos in as many people were taking photos in a similar style to her. Her photos are very good but I would imagine that they were not good enough to go professional if you can believe it or not. What makes her photos stand out more than anything today is that they depict a bygone time; one that we cannot revisit, one where the clothes, cars, streets, and atmosphere is different.
At this current day and age where we are so in tuned with the wants of our audience or followers (on ig), I find Vivian's story and work so inspiring. It is as if she owned her work completely, making her the sole judge of what makes it in her frame. But as much as I love the incognito aspect of her photography, we would have almost not been able to witness such amazing work in the first place, if not for the retrieval efforts of the curator. So it got me thinking, perhaps we truly value her work because of the sheer authenticity and originality of her voice. And the fact that it could have all been lost further cements its value as something of a lost treasure. Perhaps if she had opened up and publicised her work, it would have compromised the value on these 2 fronts, because it could be interpreted as her wanting an audience to critique and consequently "make sense" of what she had captured.
I've seen his documentary. He interviewed children that she was nanny to. She even worked for Phil Donohue for a time. She pissed people off by her actions and the children didnt seem to like her well.
I’m almost sure that the unnamed photo on 9:10 is at union station in Chicago,IL I’ve stood there waiting for my train (if anyone was wondering on location)
Only for her self Not for fame That is part of the draw, at least to me And in that context of “ just for her own enjoyment “ she has become a well know street photo”
I've come across a lot of Maier's images and the more I see of them, the more I consider her as one of the photography greats. Thanks for posting this.
Maier sounds so familiar to me. Her father was Austrian, Maier is a very common name in my home country. I like the photos of Vivian a lot. What I learned from this video for us photographers is the importance of capturing newspapers, billboards, films, theatre, exhibitions advertisings and even clothing, cars or houses. And of course the appreciative presentation of marginalized groups in society. And what photographers often forget. Self-Portraits! These things makes history tangible for the posterity.
I love your videos, I show them to my lovely elderly people in Age Uk for my lesson on Photography Appreciation. Thank you so much for your beautiful content.
Thanks for not imposing contemporary political assumptions about her. I think she photographed what she found interesting. What is currently called hording, I believe can also be thought of as collecting. I would imagine she felt that making a wonderful image was adding something of value to her collection.
Perhaps Vivian Maier exemplifies what Picasso had in mind when he said, "The purpose of (creating) art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls."
One Of The First Film Photographers That Ever Caught My Eye This Was Before I Even Tried Film Myself And Was Strictly Digital Her Eye Was So Sharp And A Lot Of Her Frames Tell Stories Especially The 6:6 Ones...
Thanks, Ms. T for the closer look at dear Vivian. I love all her selfies, or maybe I should be calling them self-portraits. There is something fun about going out with a camera and just taking photos of what interests you. It kind of gives you a mission to work on a subject to find, photograph, and catalog for yourself. Of course, but I keep thinking of the quote by photographer Thomas Leuthard - "Street Photography is Like Fishing. Catching the Fish is more exciting than eating it" Well, she sure reeled in some whopper of fish in her day.
A most beautiful and thoughtful tribute and essay. Thank you. On the subject of "controversy" - this is just a pseudointellectual contrivance. In service of what? Difficult to tell, but it has nothing to do with her work or the good faith efforts to make it available (and yes, to make some money along the way, which so sadly eluded her.)
I became aware of her work around 6 months ago and even bought a book with her photos. I don't have it any longer since I had to get rid of stuff when I moved. I definitely agree that she was a great photographer and deserves to be taken seriously as an artist. Its a shame she wasn't recognized and compensated while she was alive but I feel that deep down all artists want to be recognized and acknowledged just like all humans do.
What a respectful and lovely video about Vivian Maier. Thank you for your work and storytelling.. Thank you so much for adding location and date for each photo. Helped me a lot to understand where she was at a given time. Greetings from Denmark.
“Fame should never be a mean, but the consequence of your work”.
Beautifully said.
💯
Vivian Maier is such an interesting person! She is a prime example of someone who makes art purely for the enjoyment of the art itself. She didn't want to be in the limelight and if she didn't keep her work secret, she would have quickly become well known because her work speaks for itself!!
Absolutely Reimann!
Yes and a true artist and not chasing fame and fortune.
like chess...
I wonder though. I feel like it was her personal way of escaping the rigors blue collar work and social compliance.
she inspires me to just take photos. To continue whether or not I find "success" in it and just do it!!
I have a mindset I call, the Zen of No Expectation. Where you compete or create without considering victory or payment - only the pursuit of joy and excellence. To me, Vivian embodies the pure pursuit of art and questioning the world, for no other reason than she had to. There was no pretense.
Thank you for making this video, Vivian and her work should be discussed and taught, everytime I see it I'm floored...
Peace-
Thank you John, completely agree with you. Cheers for watching, peace!
Spot on Sir.
interesting
I had never seen her 8mm film of Chicago before now! She really was a great spy! Thank you for sharing!
Great, great video. Vivian Maier was a great photographer. I’ve heard all the naysaying- she was someone blessed with a good eye who just took snaps; she had no formal training, so how could she be a true photographer; her work had no real theme. The sad thing is many of these comments (and others) come from known professionals in the photography world. No one knows what was in her head when she took the pictures, but I love your take on what her theme might have been, that it was “ what it means to be human”. The work speaks for itself, Vivian Maier was a great photographer, end of story.
While no formal training in a commercial sense she had Jeanne Bertrand,
Thank you, completely agree with you when you say Vivian Maier was a great photographer, end of the story. That pretty much summarises the video ahah
I wanted to include that in the video because I've read that indeed Jeanne Bertrand possibly taught Vivian how to take photos and specially portraits / landscapes which were mainly what she shot at first. And it is true that according to a 1930 census Vivian and her mum were living with Jeanne, however, I also fond the opposite, that Jeanne didn't influence her and possibly that those are just speculations. So I guess I have to go with "incognito" on that one, there's so many things we don't know. If I had to say wether Jeanne helped or not I would possibly say 60% yes, but because I wasn't 100% confident on that I didn't mention it in the video.
@@TatianaHopper ,'' But even if Bertrand was an early influence, it must also be noted that Bertrand was a portrait photographer. Vivian first picked up a camera in the southern French Alps in about 1949. The photographs she took were controlled portraits and landscapes. The odds are strong that Vivian might have been taught by Jeanne Bertrand"
www.vivianmaier.com/about-vivian-maier/
@@jgaffney567 yes that’s pretty much what I was saying with my previous comment, I think it’s simply an amazing detail adding even more to Vivian’s story.
Thank you for this. This is a reminder for me to use my rolleiflex more often!
I find her photographs quite sad, lonely in fact.
I’ve never understood the controversy around her work. To me, her images have always been inspiring on both a creative and technical level. Her work stands on its own regardless of the backstory.
Well, morally, I think it had to do with the fact that she possibly might've not wanted her work to be shown or published. Plus it is the artist's right to edit their work and what Maloof and the other collector did was to publish sequences of images that she might've not possibly be okay with. They were not edited or reviewed by her, so it means it was all done without the artists' consent, meaning, exhibitions, prints and books were sold without a consent and proper authorisation as well. Needless to say, the collectors' intentions are questioned because prior to this "Vivian enterprise," they weren't really connected with photography on a serious level (galleries, photographers, photography lovers...), and so it is speculated wether they saw a "golden opportunity" here, especially because her negatives were found by Maloof two years before she passed away. Also legally, you can own the negatives of someone's archive / portfolio but you do not own the rights to commercialise the images, which is why lawsuits were brought against collectors some I believe by the Vivian Maier estate which was run by I believe distant heirs and other executors that were essentially not okay with this propaganda of her work. And so the collectors had to settle with them financially. And to conclude, one of the biggest issues I believe {from what I read} is that Vivian died in poverty and she struggled with money, the lack of it, for many years, which makes it all even more questionable, although to me personally I believe its just sad, that someone else might now take financial advantage of her work, although it also highlights that she did it all because she truly loved photography. Unfortunately, these are the ways of the world. And I hope this in a way helped understanding the controversies surrounding her work.
Thanks for the well reasoned and thoughtful response T. I agree about the legal and ethical issues being very questionable(the rights of her family especially). But wether she intended for them to be seen or not, the world is a better place with those images in it. When all of this news broke years ago, some critics questioned the artistic value of her work. That’s more what I was referring to and what I couldn’t understand at the time. All of these issues make the enjoyment of her work bittersweet for me I guess. I’m no art critic but I think her work ranks up there with street/documentary legends. And thank you for these videos, I really enjoy your artist profiles!
@@TatianaHopper T, I was going to make your point about her wanting to have her work published. That came out in another article I read about her within the last couple of days where the point about her being a very private person was made quite strongly. Vivian had been nanny to one of the people interviewed in the article.
Having said that, I very much admire her images and only wish that my film (film - never analogue, thank you very much!) images were anywhere near as good as hers.
Keep up the good work, G in NZ.
@@TatianaHopper I remember there was a Vivian Maier exhibition at my local art museum a few years back. I loved seeing her work, but I also felt guilty about being there for these reasons that you brought up.
@@oceansquatch1481 completely agree with you, I’m not art critic either but I guess that her work speaks more to me than some other that has been heavily praised by the media / art world. Appreciate you for watching and supporting the channel! Peace ✌🏻
Love this - hoping to make it to the Chicago History Museum for their color Maier exhibit
Beautiful video, Tatiana! When I discovered Vivian Maier, my interest in film photography was rekindled.
Thank you!
Art in any form is like beauty, in the eye of the beholder.
She was clearly very very talented All these images reflect what she saw and importantly what caught her attention. She had no peer pressure, no one was judging her images so she never carried that burden. Vivian's legacy is a portfolio of images that depict the true essence of the 1950's & 60's in the USA. Fantastic research and bravo on a great presentation.....
Thank you Anthony appreciate it. And agree with you, she was a lone wolf and a very talented one.
I find Vivian’s work beautiful
fantastic, I really enjoyed this one! Vivian is one of my favorite artists. I could watch this like forever. 😄
Thank you!
This was well done, thank you.
thank you so much for focusing on content and not opinions //something i really appreciate about this channel
Thank you Sammy, appreciate you!
I got into analog photography because of her. I saw one of her self portrait and I fell in love with her style. Thanks Tatiana for this video. (You should check Sergio Larrain’s photography , he’s really good and unique)
Thank you, appreciate it, and just checked Sergio's work. Quickly added him to my list!
I just watched the documentary yesterday so seeing this video is great timing as you summed up Vivian and her work very impeccably. Would love to see a video like this on Robert Frank or Marry Ellen mark.
Also really loved the video itself, beautifully edited & it gave such a nice relaxing vibe. 🤍
Thank you so much, appreciate it, I did try a new approach to this video so I'm happy its getting positive feedback, for sure will try and bring more of this. And Robert Frank / Mary Ellen Mark are for sure on my list.
Thank you ! Excellent video :)
Cheers!
A good friend of mine recommended me the documentary with her and suddenly you're making a video on her. Perfect timing 📸
Perfect timing indeed!
@@TatianaHopper yeah! I love your channel btw. Grainydays sent me :)
Magnificent perspective of the Vivian Maier's world... Thanks, I really appreciated! Rosaria
Thank you for watching Rosaria!
While it was sad that she wasn't discovered until after her death; it is good that her work was discovered by mere chance, that we've been able to enjoy seeing into her world and for us to see her via the ciné film alive.
She wasn't a beautiful woman; there's nothing wrong with that, but she made up for that through her imagery...
I feel she would not have taken kindly to the interest in her if she was still here today... A private person.
Here's another ‘discovery’ in the street photographers world for you too check out... Robert Blomfield (Robert Blomfield Edinburgh, 1957 - 1966) you might like feature…
PS I have two albums of her work…
ohhh Robert Blomfield, I remember reading an article on the irish times about him, yes, thank you for reminding me of him! And yes I agree with your take on Vivian!
The thing about her is how she could use such a obvious tool yet blend in and be so inconspicuous.
Agree! It's one of my favorite things to think about when viewing her images...
Such a beautiful and thoughtful vid, and worthy of its subject. Thank you. I haven’t closely followed VM’s work since the documentary premiered, but thought I knew her work - but almost all these are new to me. She might be the greatest street photographer who ever lived.
Thank you, she indeed is among them greatest street photographers ever!
Excellent vid! 👍 Hers is truly one of the great stories in the history of photography. Her work speaks for itself; on a par with the work of Robert Frank, IMO. Truly exquisite! ✌🧡
Absolutely Joseph, her work is really amazing.
A gentle and sensitive look at this person’s life and photography while showcasing her unique vision in both still and moving images. Well done!
Wow. After documentaries, articles, news segments, countless RUclipsrs and photographer convos - I feel like this was a complete reintroduction to Vivian Maier and her work. The way you want to be introduced to someone and their work. Like stepping out of a noisey party for a smoke and having a real look at someone. Well done, Tatiana.
Thank you John, appreciate your words and love the comparison with the party, that's exactly how I felt doing this video, I was overwhelmed with information and I really left some of it behind and just tried to process with my mind and feelings what I was seeing.
She seems so fascinating, and we can only guess her intentions now… Such beautiful work.
Very true!
Wonderful, simply wonderful.
hey love your videos! have you ever thought of doing a series about contemporary photographers? would love to watch it.
Yes, I'll be bringing some videos on that :)
Yeah, I admired her passion and devotion too. A reminder to pick up the camera more often to keep the perishable skills fresh.
Loved this! The Russ Meyer marquee made me laugh. She was a spy.
Terrific analysis of this amazing person’s work. We’re all better off for being able to admire her photography, even under a less than optimal situation
Wonderful, thank you for making this and sharing. 📸
This work is born from your deep passion, and love. And you helped me to realize how much I love photography, and art. I'm so grateful for you, thank you for your amazing work.
❤, from Hungary! :)
I've watched another documentary on her and I find the human aspect of who Vivian was (imperfect, mean, abusive, kind, odd, hopeful, etc.) Super interesting when you compare it to her photography. Any given photo of hers is like a piece of music, containing different aspects of her life and experiences, through light, shape, balance. etc. Very interesting individual.
I was quite surprised to discover that Maier travelled to Thailand, 06:16
She travelled for 8 months around the world. I believe in 1957, you can find her itinerary on her website.
For me photography should always start, and hopefully continue to be, for yourself. It should not be a thing where we bend to suit the desires of other people. When it becomes that you are not being true to yourself and something is inevitably lost. Something that I don't think happened to Vivian Maier, which is one of the many reasons her work is so beautiful.
Thank you for your excellent video. It seems ironic that, in the case of a gifted artist who pursued virtual anonymity, we have trouble looking at her work without getting into detective work about who she was, or ethical arguments about the propriety of showing her work, or legal arguments about who owns it.
Great story backed up by great imagery.
Divan,was beautifull,I onderstand her, privacy is health,thanks,ELI BALKE AMSTERDAM
Just saw her exhibit here in Lisbon last month and her work is simply amazing.
Wow wow wow. First time here. That rocked my world. The emotion and feelings coming through this story and her work. Powerful. Kudos to you too, great work here
Her work is incredible. Along with Cartier-Bresson, she's my fave. I can look at her photography over and over and still feel the same emotions I experienced when I looked at them for the first ever time.
So true, same happens with me!
I finally got a hard cover of one of Cartier-Bresson portrait work.
This is a perfect 6x6 masterclass that is right on time for me! Always on point T!
Thank you Chris!
Lovely video. One of my favorite photographers ever, her fascination with everyday life is inspiring. I’m glad it got exposed to the world.
This is such a great video on Ms Maier. In my opinion, she is one of the truly great photographers. When the RUclips/ Photographers / Us / Me are all consumed with what Instagram is going to do - we forget to invest ourselves in improving ourselves & our work. Many many thanks.
Imagine when whoever found these realized how good her work was. Probably pooped their pants.
I loved the way you presented Vivian's life and work. Great video!
Thank you for this interesting presentation - New and thought provoking take on an overtold story - No ethical dimensions to publicising the collection, dozens of passers by would have seen the people and experienced the same events at exactly the same moment as VM - They may have stored this information in their memory cells for later recall - Vivian just just stored in a different manner and, intentionally or not, gave us all the chance to be present at those special happenings..
The whole film (Finding Vivian Maier) is a must see. Also, I just got the book _*Vivian Maier Developed: The Untold Story of the Photographer+_ by Ann Marks that expands on her story. Read the free peek fron Amazon and it's hooking.
She's my favorite photographer because she reminds me of jesus... not a Christian but, she didn't want fame, or attention. She didn't even tell anyone she was a photographer.. Jesus also didn't want fame, told others not to tell anyone what he did for them... I to want to become this type of photographer.
The most beautifull social photography made by the most asocial photographer
It's so ironic!
This is amazing!
Hi. Nice editorial. You said she asked a friend to make some prints of her work. I wonder, how could she shoot so many images but not print them? Aren’t they negative images if they are not printed? Another question her images are so well lighted and composed in the frame. Was this all done in-camera? That would be a testament to her craft if so. I know Ansel Adams spent a lot of time manipulating his images post shoot in the darkroom. Thanks
On of the most amazing street photographers ever! Can I also recommend the wonderful Tish Murtha to you if you’ve not already discovered her … another beautiful visionary lost too soon. Her daughter is approachable and I’m sure will speak to you …
I love her work, thank you
After everything I've seen and read (after all this time) I still can't wrap my head around her leaving behind so much undeveloped film. It's probably not for us to know why, right? Great video!
Also Gary Winogrand, he died suddenly, so a little different, but he left behind about 200,000 undeveloped images. Both were addicted, they just HAD to shoot.
I don't think she could afford to print them out. The process of looking and seeing and taking was more important than the final image.
абсолютно гениальный фотограф, которая практически всё умела и могла со своим Роллейфлексом, единственно, что она так и не научилась делать профессионально это печатать свои замечательные фотографии. Был на выставке в Лос Анжелесе, где наряду с современыми принтами ее работ (очень хорошими) были выставлены и ее оригинальные вполне себе любительские принты. Но тем не менее она одна из столпов американской документальной фотографии.
I was told of her some years ago but what was told to me was that she was a nanny who would go around the city and take pictures and it wasn’t until her death her photos became very famous along with her. What I do is very similar to what she did but let me make this very clear I am not a Vivian Maier. I do walk around with a camera or two and take photos just things I find interesting or strange or even more for historical purposes like buildings that are going to be destroyed and new ones going up. I do like to have photos of things and places and people because there is always change around us. I tell people I am not taking photos for now but for the future to look back on and see where we were and where we are now and I don’t to bad of a job only because people will come up to me and ask me if I took a picture of this or that some years ago and they would like to see them. I guess it brings back memories for all of us even though some may be sad but hoping that it makes us happy. I am truly fascinated with her and her great work and believe there should be more Vivian Maier’s in this world.
Very interesting video but just so you know she didn't sell her photos. She kep them in a storage unit and didn't have the money to pay the rent and was too old and ill to deal with it. So it was selled at an auction. Sorry for my english and thanks for the video
…And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am…
My guess is that she knew if she came out ppl would be asking her all sorts of stupid questions maybe she knew she was trapped in her own timeline and if fame touched her she might end up hating what she did, i think she planned to let us all see her work since the beginning because she knew it was good of course she did I can almost see her looking at her work and thinking that someday somewhere sometime ppl would be enjoying her work like we are now, what she did allowed her work to remain pure, untouched you wanna ask her questions I think all the answers are right there if you take the time to really look at it 👍
Her work may have not been that well recognised if it was published in the era she took her 50s / 60s photos in as many people were taking photos in a similar style to her. Her photos are very good but I would imagine that they were not good enough to go professional if you can believe it or not. What makes her photos stand out more than anything today is that they depict a bygone time; one that we cannot revisit, one where the clothes, cars, streets, and atmosphere is different.
At this current day and age where we are so in tuned with the wants of our audience or followers (on ig), I find Vivian's story and work so inspiring. It is as if she owned her work completely, making her the sole judge of what makes it in her frame. But as much as I love the incognito aspect of her photography, we would have almost not been able to witness such amazing work in the first place, if not for the retrieval efforts of the curator.
So it got me thinking, perhaps we truly value her work because of the sheer authenticity and originality of her voice. And the fact that it could have all been lost further cements its value as something of a lost treasure. Perhaps if she had opened up and publicised her work, it would have compromised the value on these 2 fronts, because it could be interpreted as her wanting an audience to critique and consequently "make sense" of what she had captured.
I've seen his documentary. He interviewed children that she was nanny to. She even worked for Phil Donohue for a time. She pissed people off by her actions and the children didnt seem to like her well.
I absolutely love this, her work is definitely unique. Great work doing a tribute of this amazing woman.
I’m almost sure that the unnamed photo on 9:10 is at union station in Chicago,IL I’ve stood there waiting for my train (if anyone was wondering on location)
Only for her self
Not for fame
That is part of the draw, at least to me
And in that context of “ just for her own enjoyment “ she has become a well know street photo”
The film grain effect flashing over the screen is impossibly distinctive
Tyler Shields might be Vivian reincarnated lol they look strikingly similar in some of these shots
This channel is pure gold.
Thanks for taking the time 🙌♥️🥂
Thank you Martin, appreciate the support. All the best!
Very Nice Analysis of her work & the Art World from your POV.
Very nice concise heartfelt video, i will definetely show to my students, the documentary has a very slow start and they have little attention span
Vivian did not have a chance to publish her pics so that she did not earn a fame nor a chance to set her own style,a waste of genius!
Her images are far more thought-provoking than any street photographer working today, in my unbiased but correct opinion.
Completely agree!
Would be a nice movie....come to Islam and success
Very insightful video 🙏🏿
Vivian Maier and Maeve Brennan are very interesting women.
I've come across a lot of Maier's images and the more I see of them, the more I consider her as one of the photography greats. Thanks for posting this.
Thank you!
Maier sounds so familiar to me. Her father was Austrian, Maier is a very common name in my home country.
I like the photos of Vivian a lot. What I learned from this video for us photographers is the importance of capturing newspapers, billboards, films, theatre, exhibitions advertisings and even clothing, cars or houses. And of course the appreciative presentation of marginalized groups in society. And what photographers often forget. Self-Portraits!
These things makes history tangible for the posterity.
👏
Just bought her book can’t wait to see it !
I love your videos, I show them to my lovely elderly people in Age Uk for my lesson on Photography Appreciation. Thank you so much for your beautiful content.
Thank you Marina that’s lovely and I’ve donated to Age Uk I’m aware of what you guys do and I want to thank you for that. All the best 🙏🏻
Vivian the best street photographer
Thanks for not imposing contemporary political assumptions about her. I think she photographed what she found interesting. What is currently called hording, I believe can also be thought of as collecting. I would imagine she felt that making a wonderful image was adding something of value to her collection.
That’s a really good idea perhaps she thought of it like a collection as you say! Thank you for watching and for commenting 💫
Incredible talent. Great eye
Perhaps Vivian Maier exemplifies what Picasso had in mind when he said, "The purpose of (creating) art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls."
Love that and completely agree with you!
Amazing video!!! Thank you!!!
Still one of your best! / Ulf
Another amazing video
My favorite video of yours!
Brilliant and sensitive observations. You are an exceptional teacher through the insights you share.
Thank you Craig!
Beutiful words mrs. Hopper
Amazing video
Thank you!
One Of The First Film Photographers That Ever Caught My Eye
This Was Before I Even Tried Film Myself And Was Strictly Digital
Her Eye Was So Sharp And A Lot Of Her Frames Tell Stories
Especially The 6:6 Ones...
Thanks ❤ thank u for bringing vivian maier to my world ...❤❤❤
🙏🏻
Thanks, Ms. T for the closer look at dear Vivian. I love all her selfies, or maybe I should be calling them self-portraits. There is something fun about going out with a camera and just taking photos of what interests you. It kind of gives you a mission to work on a subject to find, photograph, and catalog for yourself. Of course, but I keep thinking of the quote by photographer Thomas Leuthard - "Street Photography is Like Fishing. Catching the Fish is more exciting than eating it" Well, she sure reeled in some whopper of fish in her day.
A most beautiful and thoughtful tribute and essay. Thank you. On the subject of "controversy" - this is just a pseudointellectual contrivance. In service of what? Difficult to tell, but it has nothing to do with her work or the good faith efforts to make it available (and yes, to make some money along the way, which so sadly eluded her.)
I became aware of her work around 6 months ago and even bought a book with her photos. I don't have it any longer since I had to get rid of stuff when I moved. I definitely agree that she was a great photographer and deserves to be taken seriously as an artist. Its a shame she wasn't recognized and compensated while she was alive but I feel that deep down all artists want to be recognized and acknowledged just like all humans do.
That was the most Chicago pronunciation of Chicago I've heard a non-Chicagan pronounce! Lovely video
What a respectful and lovely video about Vivian Maier. Thank you for your work and storytelling.. Thank you so much for adding location and date for each photo. Helped me a lot to understand where she was at a given time. Greetings from Denmark.