Research Notes: Vivian Maier -

Photographer Research -

Vivian Maier -

Born: February 1st 1926
Died: April 21st 2009
Place of Birth: New York City, USA
Occupation: Nanny, Photographer
Groups: Street Documentary Photography
Camera Used: Kodak Box Brownie, 8mm films

• Maier was born to a French mother and an Austrian father in 1926.
• She moved a lot at a young age between France and America.
• Her father left the family for a short time and in a census the head of the house was Jeanne Bertrand who was a successful photographer.
• Maier was originally a nanny who only pursued photography in her spare time.
• During her lifetime her work was unknown and unpublished with many of her negative never developed until after her death.
• Maier, according to those who knew her, was a very private person with lacking pragmatic and social skills.
• I believe Maier was often unsure in her own identity due to a confusing childhood and thus often took self-portraits as an exploration into the art of her own self-identity.

Vivian Maier Examples:

This self-portrait of Maier depicts her in a reflection that implicitly looks like a rabbit-hole to another world as though she is isolated from the rest of society. The leaning position almost shows her world as upside down and supports ideas of a confused self-identity.

In the period when Maier was prevalent race was still a significant political and social issue. Different races and ethnicities were often segregated and those other than the 'white norm' were wrongly perceived as lesser. The subject of this portrait is extremely glamourous and would have been a great advocate for race equality through photojournalism and documentary. Additionally, whilst the monotone black and white colour is technically due to the availability and advancement of cameras at the time the colour could also be implicitly stating that when all variants of tone, implicitly those with different skin tones, join together we can create something beautiful within society.

This final photograph is wonderful in depicting the resourcefulness of childhood and the way in which society was at the particular point in America. Children had a idealistic freedom but were far too often caught in a capitalist society that did not allow for materialistic freedom and advancing in the classes system. These children are an example of class establishment within the institute of society even in childhood.