That Vivian Maier is an incredible story.
A modern day fairy tale that takes shape in 2009 when John Maoof, amateur photographer in Chicago, a public auction to buy some boxes of some 100,000 negatives.
John developed the first roller is stunned by the quality of the material and decided to ask for advice from Flickr users ( this the original discussion) on how to behave and what to do dell'incredbile discovery. At this point it is a matter of days because the "case" Vivan Maier rise to prominence.
The photographs cover a period from the 50s to 70s and are almost exclusively pictures "stolen" in the streets of Chicago during those years. It takes just a few clicks to understand the magnitude of the talent of Vivian. Timeless images freighted with irony and the result of a glance uncommon, that almost automatically draws the parallel with the illustrious Henri Cartier-Bresson.
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It seems impossible that a talent like that has lived his whole life in total anonymity. Yet it happened, so do research on the industry was not at all easy. John Maloof
discovered the name of Vivian Maier thanks to the lucky discovery of rollers in the box photo, an envelope containing some of the negatives developed and addressed her. It 'been like that, going back to the shop that did the job, came out the first information about Vivian.
The shopkeeper remembered it well and described her as a person of few words and much about her, with a great passion for European cinema.
When John decided to contact her, gave her research at Google, the first site that came across was that of the morgue Chicago.Vivien had disappeared just days before.
Once again a mocking fate.
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But John did not give up and he did not abandon the search. He found that
Vivian worked all his life as a nanny and was able to contact one of the families with which he served, collecting valuable information for a partial reconstruction of its history.
Born in France he moved to Chicago in the early '30s where he was barely 11 years begins to work in a factory. Catholic or rather, anti-Catholic, as he called himself, was also a socialist and feminist. Impassioned film criticism, from the little information collected, it appears the overwhelming image of a strong woman, outspoken.
He learned English by attending the theater (which he loved). Often wore a jacket and shoes off and a man known capello.Chi has said that Vivian has devoted every second of his free time taking pictures, photos in a lifetime, has never shown to anyone.
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Now that Vivian is not plus the art world, thanks mainly to John Maloof, seems determined to do justice to the incredible work of this photographer living in the shadows. Exhibitions and books are already in the project and also the world of collectors discovered the value of his works. If you want
approffondire this fascinating story will these sites TIP:
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The official blog The blog maintained by John Maloof. It contains many photographs and approffondimenti on this story. The site is constantly updated, from the development of new negative. - Discussion orignal Flickr
Here is where everything is born. Certainly worth a read for fans of this incredible history. - Jeff Goldstein's Collection
The official website of the "team" who has decided to manage the affairs of the artistic heritage of Vivian Maier. - Vivian Maier Documentary Film
A video that gathers some of the history and works of Vivan Maier. - TV report
Although English is not chewed too absolutely from a movie to be missed.
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| Vivian Maier 1926 - 2009 |
