Vivian Maier was an American street photographer whose works could have gone forever unrecognized, being known as the secret photographer. A self-taught photographer, Maier picked up her first camera in 1949 while in France called Kodak Brownie box that only had one shutter speed, no aperture, and focus control. Later, her famous square dimension images began after purchasing her first Rolleiflex camera in 1952. Her work remained unknown until 2007 when financial struggles led to the auctioning of her stored negatives.
One of her famous themes were her self-portraits. They are very playful and at the same time very abstract compositionally. Reflections were something that piqued her interest, whether through windows or mirrors. This fascination led to her experimentation of how she framed shots and included various reflective and storytelling elements. Maier also has a great sense of light and shadow, which we see her play with in thousands of images.
Although a private person with no recorded personal relationships, Maier’s portraiture exudes warmth and playfulness, especially in her depictions of couples. There is such power that she finds in the casualness of the small moments she gets to capture in passing. Her ability to capture the sweetness of small moments and the gentleness of human emotion is evident throughout her work.
Having an affinity for children due to her decades-long experience as a nanny, Maier’s child portraits showcase the emotions and purity of childhood. She perfectly captures the emotions and the purity behind each child. In her time nannying, she would take the kids with her and record their lives in pictures as well. Documenting daily life, she captured the joy and interactions within communities, allowing viewers to ponder the stories behind each character.
Vivian Maier also had an affinity for the marginalized communities, such as racial minorities and the socially deprived. Argued to have this affinity because she too had identified being poor and worked/struggled to get by herself . A sense of vulnerability is seen which reflects her own emotional state and struggles.
Not only did she work in street photography and portraiture, but also architecture. Maier often took photos of cityscapes in Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles. I admire the way she finds patterns and creates these compositions surrounding them. I also like how the patterns in certain images become primary subjects and the humans become secondary.
Vivian Maier’s legacy is one of rediscovered brilliance—a self-taught artist who, through her unique perspectives on self-portraits, couples, children, daily life, marginalized communities, and architecture, left a profound impact on the world of photography.