The Work of / Vivian Maier

Once, a little while back, I was in the gift shop of an art museum and I overheard a woman telling another woman at the counter that she is "tired of street photography".  She felt it was "overdone and not art".  I suggested she check out Vivian Maier's photography, to which she replied that she's sure it wouldn't intrigue her.  She ended the conversation there.  Too bad, I thought.  Too bad.  What remarkable and engaging art she is missing out on...

Vivian Maier, a nanny for much of her adult life, was not officially discovered until after her death about five or so years ago when storage items were auctioned off and came under the care of an archivist, John Maloof- a filmmaker and photographer- who discovered Maier’s work in 2007 and was the first to bring her work to the public and promote it.  Aren't we lucky for that? 

 Here's a self-portrait.  I love the kids in this shot.

Her story is somehow both quietly and boldly present.  Maloof has admirably worked extensively to piece together the bits of her life, collected here and there.  It's a momentous achievement and I am so hopeful that the woman from that art museum gift shop has since decided to have a peek. 

[More on Vivian Maier here.]