The Russian Vivian Maier

Dahod · Mar 14, 2018

Ko.Fe. said:
Khm... Most of the pictures I have seen from her so far are from the Zastoy time. It means time then nothing happened. Also known as Brezhnev time.
She was born in well established Soviet family (well above average) and was not in danger before Stalin crapped out. After it, it was hard times and tragedies happened from time to time, but seeing and reading her bio, she was not into it until she took dissidents side. And it was something very uncommon among Russians... Most of us never did and didn't even knew about dissidents. We were millions, not in danger and even happy often.

Ko.Fe - my apologies for my ignorance

AgX · Mar 14, 2018

Dahod said:
Do we judge the photos in isolation or in the context of the photographer's world? To have produced these during those tragic and desperate times is amazing and a testament to her.

"tragic and desperate times" ?
So all people in the USSR were living in misery? Let us say they were not living in Canada.

Bob Carnie · Mar 15, 2018

Mainecoonmaniac said:
I saw prints made from her negatives at the Scott Nichols Gallery in San Francisco and they're fantastic. All square and I think they're printed full frame. Did you print them?

No I printed the work that hung at Stephen Bulger Gallery , his last show of her work..

Bob Carnie · Mar 15, 2018

Patrick Robert James said:
Put me in the meh category with Maier. Lots of hype, but what I have seen just makes me think she was a good photographer who tried to make pictures like she saw in the magazines of the time. People confuse nostalgia and a good story with incredible images. The myth of Maier is far more interesting than the images.

The nice thing about this story is the family will benefit, not some opportunistic bozo who found some batty old woman's images and thought he could make some money.

Wrong on both counts, I am afraid... One we should be thankful John Maloof was convinced this was a great body of work.. and Vivian was far from Batty, she was far from that.

Mainecoonmaniac · Mar 15, 2018

Bob Carnie said:
No I printed the work that hung at Stephen Bulger Gallery , his last show of her work..

I'm sure they were fantastic too! But From what I saw at the Scott Nichols Gallery, Vivian Maier had quite an eye.

Patrick Robert James · Mar 15, 2018

Bob Carnie said:
Wrong on both counts, I am afraid... One we should be thankful John Maloof was convinced this was a great body of work.. and Vivian was far from Batty, she was far from that.

Since you didn't know Vivian Maier personally, and only have access to the same info the rest of us do, you are the one that is wrong Bob. By all accounts she was batty, and those are the accounts of the people that knew her.

Maloof wouldn't give interviews to anyone after he decided to make a documentary about his Maier collection. He had dollar signs in his eyes from day one when he bought the images as a way to possibly cheaply illustrate a book he was working on. So you are wrong again. I think Maloof was less convinced it was a great body of work, since he knew nothing about photography, but he did realize that people would pay after he started showing the images and selling the negs on ebay. That is how I see his actions, and as they say, actions speak louder than words.

I appreciate the fact that you are smitten with the story since you participated in printing images, but by doing so you are also part of the problem. If you didn't know what Maier wanted in her prints, how can you translate her ideas? Technically by reproducing her work you committed a copyright violation. That is just the truth, but I suppose you got caught up in the hooplah like a lot of other people.

I still like you Bob... Just disagree with you on this one.

Bob Carnie · Mar 15, 2018

I actually don't care if you like me or not... I just think you are completely in the dark about this. The true story of all of this will eventually come out..

{I appreciate the fact that you are smitten with the story since you participated in printing images, but by doing so you are also part of the problem. If you didn't know what Maier wanted in her prints, how can you translate her ideas? Technically by reproducing her work you committed a copyright violation. That is just the truth, but I suppose you got caught up in the hooplah like a lot of other people.}
this makes me laugh , how silly of you.

Patrick Robert James · Mar 15, 2018

What exactly am I in the dark about? I am not an insider, so explain the vast knowledge you have about all of this that no one else knows.

I'm not silly Bob. I just call it like I see it. If you don't know who owns the copyright you shouldn't be printing the negs. Simple legal stuff. You are the one that sounds silly. Copyright law is real clear. Technically you could be sued by the estate if someone wanted to go through with it. You wouldn't laugh then would you? In fact if there is a money grab on the estate from a relative, you could have some real problems. Other people might be selling the images, but you made them.

I'm surprised you don't understand this really. But you know, I am just silly so ignore me.......

Bob Carnie · Mar 15, 2018

Please now you are really getting silly...... Do you actually know who is trying to sue who? are you a lawyer btw

Vivian travelled the world on a Nanny's salary, she amassed over 100 thousand negatives, her work is critically acclaimed but you claim her to be batty , I find her abilities to cope with a meagre salary and still create a body of work fascinating.

And yes if you continue to post negatively on this thread I probably will ignore you rather than argue with you.

toro_mike · Mar 15, 2018

People are passionately fighting about Ms. Maier, making her work true art. It's interesting seeing how this same theme plays out over and over again. However, I think the name calling is unnecessary and uncalled for... even if she is no longer amongst the living.

OP, thanks for bringing this to my attention. I love seeing people's photographic artwork!! Masha Ivashintsova is also eliciting a response on both sides, and should be considered art as well.

Let's take it down a notch and enjoy the diversity of styles and the stories they have.

blockend · Mar 16, 2018

My bet is Ivashintsova's work is in need of a good curator. There are glimpses of excellence, which may or may not suggest a compelling body of work. At worst her photographs open a window on an under-recorded dissident community. Comparisons with Vivian Maier are unfortunate and probably misleading.

One would imagine many people were consistently recording their communities, but from people wanting to access my own work that does not appear to be the case. That said, I suspect there are undiscovered photographers out there with good or even great work waiting to be seen.

removed account4 · Mar 16, 2018

Bob Carnie said:
Vivian travelled the world on a Nanny's salary, she amassed over 100 thousand negatives, her work is critically acclaimed but you claim her to be batty , I find her abilities to cope with a meagre salary and still create a body of work fascinating.

i think anyone who uses a camera as a coping mechanism and is an artist or whatever .. is kind of batty. the line between batty and genius is like a
semi permiable membrane. i don't know much or anything about her other than what i have read online and in the funny pages ... im glad someone found her work
and people are seeing it. its an interesting visual story about the world she was living in.

AgX · Mar 16, 2018

I only now understand the meaning of "batty"... As Bob Carnie above wrote it with a capital, I searched the whole thread in vain looking for that person Batty.

Mainecoonmaniac · Mar 16, 2018

I think both with Masha Ivashintsova and Vivian Maier have the drive to make images with limited means without seeking fame nor fortune. To me, this shows the sincere intent of their work. What matters is that it allows people have a glimpse of the past and bring joy to those that lived in that era.

NB23 · Mar 16, 2018

What’s up, Duderinos and Duderinovskievitchs?

The Russian Vivian Maier

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