There Are A Million “Vivian Maiers”
One of Vivian Maier’s Benches Near Her Home
Okay…maybe there are more than a million Vivian Maiers! But, I’m not talking about the number of people with her talent. Rather, I’m talking about those who have a similar motivation and passion for photography (or any other creative art form) that seems to be driven by a personal, private objective, and raison d’être. In fact, although she carried a camera with her much of the time, there is little evidence of her sharing or promoting her work. I’ve only read of one instance of an attempt by her to sell some photos at a modest price which was, in remarkable hindsight, refused! Particularly surprising because Vivian Maier‘s work is amazingly good yet she managed to slip through her life, barely being noticed at all. Keep in mind that one of the unique things about Vivian Maier is her consistent and uncanny ability to capture amazing scenes with such a high degree of success. Mostly with a single camera (Rollefllex or Leica) and one lens and nothing else…alone. I absolutely admire her work. But I would have never known about her work if not for a bit of serendipity.
Vivian Maier left behind a mysterious life story along with a massive trove of outstanding photographs which were discovered shortly prior to her death (In 2009) when someone randomly bought the contents of her storage unit, hoping to salvage something of interest. When he (John Maloof) found the boxes of photos and negatives, he started to share them online and soon discovered the breadth of her talent. Articles, books, exhibits, and films followed for several years until some lawsuits challenging the rightful ownership rights derailed things…for a while, we hope.
For more info about Vivian Maier, check out this blog post from 2014 (click here). Though there have been some “developments” since then.
Famous Self Portrait of Vivian Maier
But, the fascinating thing I ponder is whether there are, indeed, many photographers and other types of artists who are, apparently like her, making their art purely for the sake of their own personal creative expression and satisfaction. That is, not everyone is interested in having their work shared with the public. And, not everyone is looking for approval, fame, or accolades, etc. Many people just like the idea of walking around and taking photos. That is, the actual act of looking for things to photograph and hearing the click of the shutter. No ulterior motive. I think this is truer today than ever due to digital photography and cell phone photography. Because, although those innovations have opened the door (rather, floodgates!) for sharing, they have also allowed people the recreational opportunity to photograph whatever and whenever they want…trying to find the ever elusive image!
How many photos do you take each year…and how many do you share…or how many have you taken just for the enjoyment. Like many, I take thousands of photos per year, but only a small number of them are seen by anyone.
Vivian Maier Photos on Display
Like you, I’ve also wondered about success…and what it means with regard to art and vision. Is success being published or hung in a gallery, or is it a personal feeling of accomplishment, creativity, and self-discovery? I don’t know. Probably a bit of both! (Or a lot of one and not the other!)
A Couple of Books about Vivian
In any event, we are certainly living in the Golden Age of Photography! And I encourage everyone to (first and foremost) go out, keep your eyes open, and keep taking photos that bring joy to your lives…whether you share or not!
Click, click!
Next topic will probably include people photos from our upcoming trip to Cuba led by photojournalist Peter Turnley.
What this suggests is the personal nature of capturing an image, the unique
moment and circumstance and the fortuitous presence of an observer with
his camera to freeze and preserve that image.
Great work! Thanks for sharing.
Fred
Perfectly phrased! Thanks, Fred.
You and this blog inspire me to take photos. Thank you.
Thanks much. That’s my hope! (And, to have some fun.)
Hi Steve. Interesting text with this post. You ponder the artist who keeps work private with no interest in showing it. Brings to mind a quote by Bruce Springsteen: “You write the song just for yourself, but it’s no good unless you play it for somebody else.” Some artists might find that controversial, but it’s kinda true. Glad you show your stuff. Or at least a part. Thanks.
Clearly that’s Bruce Springsteen’s personal philosophy!
Not Vivian Maier’s, though! haha I wonder what VM would be doing had she lived in this era???
What is the definition of ‘success’? I find when I look back over the years at my work and all that I’ve learned I suppose that is a form of success.
I’d say Vivian Maier was a success.
Great article, Steve.
I absolutely agree with your personal measurement and appraisal!
And, I agree about Vivian Maier being a success. I just wonder if she felt that she was successful, or if she was just content to absorb herself with the act of taking photos (that is, with that as her sole motivation and objective).
Although I can barely take a cellphone pic, I have found her to be a haunting figure. As much as so many appreciate her work she also serves to remind us that there are many strange people who really aren’t that strange.
Hmmm…she seems to have been someone who was strange in many ways. But, she left a remarkable photographic record of her world…that’s for sure!! However, she never knew any popularity or fame in her lifetime, though that didn’t seem to be her motivation.
20 years ago I came upon this inspiring comment about the meaning of success by the gifted actor Ralph Fiennes.
“Success? Well, I don’t know quite what you mean by success. Material success? Worldly success? Personal success? The people I consider successful are so because of how they handle their reponsibilities to other people, how they approach the future, people who have a full sense of the value of their life and what they want to do with it. I call people ‘successful’ not because the have money or their business is doing well but because, as human beings, they have a fully developed sense of being alive and engaged in a lifetime task of collaboration with other human beings — mothers, fathers, families, friends.”
Pretty much some it up for me.
Well said.
I wonder how that definition applied to VM in the context of her work and her lifetime. What was she thinking? What was her motivation…and objective? I think that is part of the mystery and puzzle of her life.
Steve, so happy that you share your passion with others! I do hope you feel very successful & proud of your creativity…because you should!! And like Sandy, I do hope you find fame one day, like Vivian.
Aw…it’s so nice when I hear things like that! Thanks.
Not sure about feeling successful, but it is extremely satisfying…and that’s good!
Sandy is a true artist!
Stephen your very interesting and thought provoking statement”Okay…maybe there are more than a million Vivian Maiers. I think you are very conservative.Why? Because 75.3 million DSLR/Mirrorless cameras were sold in the world the last 5 years. We also have old timer film Vivian Maiers types who still produce their images the old fashioned way.
The young future Vivian Maiers today are clicking with their camera IPhones. So you can see why you are very conservative in your thinking.
P.S. I believe your body of photographic images are finer than Vivian Maiers. work.
I like your math, Stan! I also think there are many people working on their photography privately…and earnestly. More now than in the old days! That’s good, I believe.
I’m so glad you like my photographs. MUCH appreciated. Thank you! I personally don’t think I measure up to VM, but her work definitely inspires me…along with W. Eugene Smith, Elliot Erwitt, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Dorothea Lange, and SO many others!
You are too modest and humble. Some of your images are on par or go beyond the photographers who inspire you.
So glad you feel that way…so gratifying to know I’ve reached and connected with you through my images. Like her, I do try. As do many others!
I’m always proud of your vision and ability to relay your passion to others. Can’t wait to see what you bring home from Cuba.
Yay! That’s good! You’ve seen me do this for a long, long time!
Yep…Cuba will be interesting. Looking forward to another adventure with you.
Hello Stephen, Just came across your very interesting page whist working on a project on Vivian. Her photographs have captivated me, and I am sorry that many aspects of the unfolding story have now resulted in court cases etc. I am sure we have only seen the tip of an iceberg with regards the images. The street scenes and stark people shots are up there with many noted photographers. In fact, and it is just my opinion, the black and white shots are far superior to the later colour images. Hopefully you have not been to Cuba yet, because a must City to visit is Trinidad. It still has cobbled streets and allows a lesser seen part of the country and culture. Thank you and this comes all the way from England. David
Thanks for your comment.
It is a shame about the legal issues with regard to Vivian Maier’s work. Hopefully, that will all be resolved soon so that we can all have access to her images. There are a ton more that we haven’t seen. And she was so talented…as you said, “right up there with many noted photographers.”
We already have been to Cuba (there are two blog posts on the site about the trip). Wonderful experience!
Thanks for stopping by!