UNIT 6 Vivian Maier - Stop project.

VIVIAN MAIER

 Vivian Maier was a photographer of french-austrian origin. She was born in 1926. Her first encounter with photography began when she got a Kodak brownie camera in the the late 1940's while in france, it was a very simple camera over which she no control of aperture or focus and only had one shutter speed. While in France she began to make photographs of landscapes and people.

On returning to America she came across a photo  publication which solidified her interest in  photography. Her chosen genre was street photography. She upgraded to a Rolleiflex camera and started using the the Rolleiflex line in 1952. Over the years she's used the Rolleiflex 3.5f, 2.8c, and flex automat. 

She began making photographs in New York. She then moved to Chicago to work as a nanny and in her spare time she continued with her photography. She had a passion for those who were disadvantaged. And over the course of over three decades she made photographs of the human landscape. Her preferred subjects were children, the poor, the marginalised and the elderly, some her subjects were aware of her some were not. She also made a number of self portraits.

                                A self Portrait.  

         An example of Vivian's Street Photography 

Vivian was a very secretive individual and wasn't well known by any of her friends. As well as making photographs she also, collected press cuttings, made films etc. She was very cultured, intellectual. She eventually shifted to colour photography using Kodak ektachrome film. Unfortunately Vivian fell on hard times just like some of the subjects who she photographed. She was eventually given assistance by two of children who she had previously cared for who were able to help with her rent in a studio apartment. With more space she was able to develop her own in the bathroom. 

  

             Example of Vivian's colour photography.

Tragedy struck Vivian when she had an accident when she fell on ice and hit her head. Her health began to deteriorate and she never recovered. Sad to say Vivian passed away in 2007.