Vivian Maier Style

bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
edited August 5, 2014 in Street and Documentary

Comments

  • EaracheEarache Registered Users Posts: 3,533 Major grins
    edited April 28, 2014
    Very Maier-esque - cool!
    I'm headed out the door right now to go see the documentary... even talked the Missus into going with me - should be good!
    Eric ~ Smugmug
  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,967 moderator
    edited April 28, 2014
    It's a curious combination of elements. I think it could stand a contrast boost, especially in the middle of the frame.
  • bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited May 1, 2014
    Earache wrote: »
    Very Maier-esque - cool!
    I'm headed out the door right now to go see the documentary... even talked the Missus into going with me - should be good!

    So hows about a report thumb.gif
  • EaracheEarache Registered Users Posts: 3,533 Major grins
    edited May 1, 2014
    Wow, I just spent an hour and a half typing a review and Dgrin dumped me out when I pushed the post button - all lost - %$#, @!)*, *%^$#
    Thanks for the invite Ben... I'll recreate it later - the short answer is, it was better than great!
    Eric ~ Smugmug
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited May 3, 2014
    Earache wrote: »
    Wow, I just spent an hour and a half typing a review and Dgrin dumped me out when I pushed the post button - all lost - %$#, @!)*, *%^$#
    Thanks for the invite Ben... I'll recreate it later - the short answer is, it was better than great!

    Man, that dumping issue flat out sucks. Seems other folks have had the same issue. I assume that the people at Dgrin are aware of the problem. While I haven't personally had it happen to me, I can certainly share your frustration, Eric.

    I, too, eagerly await your review.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • EaracheEarache Registered Users Posts: 3,533 Major grins
    edited May 6, 2014
    ^^^ Thanks Tom - here's my thoughts about the film - I got smart (I think) and typed off-line, then copy and paste... I often do this with lengthy posts, but neglected to do so in this case. Fool me once...etc.


    The film Finding Vivian Maier, was for me, a very interesting, inspiring, and at times, emotional examination of the life and work of what we often describe as an “artistic genius”.
    John Maloof – the young man who discovered her work and produced the film - is a very engaging and talented individual. With a singular devotion, he took on the seemingly monumental task of cataloging, conserving, and sharing with the world, the HUGE body of work Vivian produced. In the film, he tells the story of his discovery and conservation efforts, as well as the stories of the people who knew her, and the spaces/places that Vivian inhabited - both physical (mostly Chicago) and mental. The film includes many interviews with people who knew her – employers, relatives, and the kids (now adults) that Vivian cared-for in her numerous positions as a professional governess. Many of the experiences related are humorous, many are painfully sad – Vivian was a complicated, eccentric individual with a mysterious “dark side”. I thought he presented the details with balance, sensitivity, and a minimum of coloration on his part.


    Here are, INPO, some of my personal impressions/reactions/thoughts about the film, Vivian, and her images:
    ~ I am blown-away by her images – especially the street portraits - they resonate with me, like few others.
    ~ She had an amazing eye and had the ability to find unique, compelling, subjects, and so, captured an intense pathos of humanity.
    ~ The B&W tones in her printed images are impressive (mostly printed by others) and defy the *new gear race* we engage in.
    ~ Most of her negatives were never printed, and so, never seen in positive by her – this fact is curious and amazing to me.
    ~ She mastered the "selfie" decades before the current hipster, social media phenomenon.
    ~ Her images contain a magical quality that is hard to define, but you know it when you see it – greater than the sum of parts…
    ~ Given today’s social sensibilities, we could not (in public) approach and photograph young children as she did – some of her best work.
    ~ She traveled the world capturing people and places – most of this work has not yet been seen, and is probably a treasure-trove.
    ~ She recorded her own voice – she sounds confident, intelligent, amused, and mysterious – her French accent is humorously debated in the film… she was born in NYC.
    ~ The film “Finds” Vivian Maier, but I came-away with many more questions and desires… I want to know more about her – see more of her work – learn the secret of her magic – try harder to find my own vision, and capture more images!


    I strongly recommend this movie to anyone interested in this genre of photography or who enjoys a compelling story of art, talent, madness, and discovery. My Missus – who is an artist, but not a photographer – enjoyed it very much and was drawn-in by the experience… her only complaint was that the seats were worn-out… YMMV!

    thumb.gifthumb Two thumbs up - with a nod to Chicago, Siskel, and Ebert.
    Eric ~ Smugmug
  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,967 moderator
    edited July 18, 2014
    Excellent summary, Eric. I just saw the film and found it fascinating. The high point was her pics, of course, but it was interesting to learn that she went way beyond eccentric in real life--more like borderline insane. I enjoyed the discussion of the reluctance of the art establishment to accept her work, which seems even more insane given its quality. Yeah, so she didn't print them herself, but neither did Cartier Bresson. Last year, I saw a small sampling of her work in Chicago, and while not every shot was compelling, more than a few were simply to die for. It will take years to process and catalog everything, but I think we've seen enough to conclude that she was one of the best street shooters ever.
  • EaracheEarache Registered Users Posts: 3,533 Major grins
    edited July 18, 2014
    Thanks Richard... that's cool that you got to see the film, enjoyed it, and were able to connect it to the experience of seeing
    an exhibition of her work... I'm hoping that the world travel images see a proper exhibition also - I'll bet they are similarly impressive.
    Eric ~ Smugmug
  • bdcolenbdcolen Registered Users Posts: 3,804 Major grins
    edited July 19, 2014
    Is there a Vivian Maier style?
    bfjr wrote: »
    VivianMaierStyle21stCentury-L.jpg

    Not at all sure there is a Vivian Maier style, which is why I can't get excited about Vivian Maier. Yes, of all her work the self-portraits are by far the most interesting and revealing, and seem to me to be the only part of her work that reveals a personal vision. The rest of it, I would argue, is more than a little 'idiot savant' like - while she certainly had an eye for scenes to be captured, and had excellent technical skills, almost all the street images ape the work of some other 20th century photographer. Wow, look at that Walker Evans! Oh gees, will you catch that Helen Levitt? Holy Cow! There's a Weegee!

    But where is Vivian Maier?

    As to the documentary, it me that it is indeed about find in Vivian Maier, and not so much about her work.

    Good thing I am not at all opinionated. wings.gif
    bd@bdcolenphoto.com
    "He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan

    "The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,249 moderator
    edited July 22, 2014
    The film is showing at our little theater in town this week. I hope to get to see it in the next few days. I've been to two downtown Chicago Vivian Maier shows over the past few years, and while I wasn't vastly overwhelmed, like Richard mentioned, there were I'd say one in four or five that sent shivers up my spine.
    My Smugmug
    "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
  • EaracheEarache Registered Users Posts: 3,533 Major grins
    edited July 22, 2014
    David_S85 wrote: »
    The film is showing at our little theater in town this week. I hope to get to see it in the next few days. I've been to two downtown Chicago Vivian Maier shows over the past few years, and while I wasn't vastly overwhelmed, like Richard mentioned, there were I'd say one in four or five that sent shivers up my spine.

    It's not surprising, nor in any way a negative, to realize that viewer reactions will inhabit a broad spectrum
    of opinion... as we all know, this is an inherent characteristic (subjectivity) of art creation and appreciation - especially the visual arts.
    After the discovery and exhibition of Maier's images, a not insignificant number of people have found a strong resonance with the work, and so,
    consider it among the best examples of this genre - some being actually rather excited about it... I just happen to be one of those who gets more, and stronger shivers. thumb.gif
    Eric ~ Smugmug
  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,249 moderator
    edited July 22, 2014
    I'm also from Chicago, which well plays into the subject matter of her work being even the more familiar and nostalgic to me. That's a connection that someone in Boise, for example, might not share. Location, I think, does help convey a special feeling of awe to a viewer.

    There was an article maybe half a year ago in Shutterbug? magazine with a V.M. photo of a large partially broken concrete drainpipe probably leading out towards Lake Michigan with a not-too-populated beach in the background. I had skimmed the article and photo several times and then later read all of it while staring at the photos - trying to get into the artist's mind - finished it, then put it down. Many days later I opened it again and that same concrete pipe photo caught my eye but this time I also saw the face of a small child peering out from the partial opening. I was absolutely stunned that I had missed that very important detail the previous dozen times. In B&W, the child is there and not there at the same time. Now if that shot was posed or not, I don't care. It is what it did for me when I finally saw the face. And she did that. If I had only one photo like that in my lifetime that could do that for others, I would gladly put my camera down for good and call it done.
    My Smugmug
    "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,249 moderator
    edited July 24, 2014
    Just returned from Finding Vivian Maier. I need a while to let the info settle and mix with what I had seen of her work. But wow. I knew she was a little crazy, but that put a whole new view on crazy.
    My Smugmug
    "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
  • EaracheEarache Registered Users Posts: 3,533 Major grins
    edited July 24, 2014
    David_S85 wrote: »
    ....But wow. I knew she was a little crazy, but that put a whole new view on crazy.

    I know what you mean... she did seem to complicate her life with rather odd behavior... but, imo, "crazy" is one of those fuzzy concepts that
    defies a uniform definition - one person's creative genius, is another's idiot savant, is another's just plain crazy.
    It is - at a minimum - thought provoking... I'll be interested to hear what you think David.
    Eric ~ Smugmug
  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,249 moderator
    edited August 5, 2014
    Earache wrote: »
    I know what you mean... she did seem to complicate her life with rather odd behavior... but, imo, "crazy" is one of those fuzzy concepts that
    defies a uniform definition - one person's creative genius, is another's idiot savant, is another's just plain crazy.
    It is - at a minimum - thought provoking... I'll be interested to hear what you think David.

    i-rHzKJLg-S.jpg

    Took me a week to respond. I've thought about the "crazy" thing more than a few times now. I want to say she might have been so entirely and privately focused on her art form that it almost completely eliminated time to do the other things in life that others make time for. That same personal choice also fits the lives of untold number of artists over the millennia and perhaps crazy is a term most all the other people call it when they're looking in at someone else from the outside. All those newspapers collected and stacked up -- hmmmm. That was crazy. Makes me want to sort through and toss all those magazines I've collected. Also makes a firm point for online subscriptions and iPads.

    So they've found approximately 100,000 negatives so far, and there is evidence that might only be the known portion of her work. Lots more out there? Gads. Yeah, she was really really into being the photog reporter/street shooter. I can relate to that in a very small way because on any day I set aside to shoot something special I can hardly think of doing anything else and tune those "else's" out. Yet, those days (or regrettably, hours) come very infrequently. Her multi-day-a-week devotion shows through clearly, if I can read her contact sheets correctly. And talk about hit rate! Damn!

    Complicated is another term I'd use, and in a way that is hard to figure out because she seemed to be so aloof and private. And the more I see of her work the more I like it. I am jealous too, of her eye and reaction time to grab what she did. I wonder how many times she passed this scene until the decisive moment. Might have been the one time, but I'd bet it was dozens or more. Look at the kid going down the slide in the middle and their pose. Holy crap! No doubt she completely pre-visualized it in her head days/weeks before and then stalked it until it happened. And good for her and all of us that she did. One of my favorites.

    I haven't found an online version of the kid's face in the cement pipe yet. Still looking. If/when I find it I'll link to it.
    My Smugmug
    "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
  • EaracheEarache Registered Users Posts: 3,533 Major grins
    edited August 5, 2014
    Yup, that newspaper thing did have a bit of a *Twilight Zone* feel to it...
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts David.

    5 bucks for a movie? Don't see that much anymore - nice!!
    Eric ~ Smugmug
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