July 17 – September 13, 2014
Toronto-based Stephen Bulger Gallery is having its second exhibition of works by a French-American photographer Vivian Maier, who was born in the US, but spent most of her childhood in France. In the late 1930’s Maier moved to Chicago and spent most of her adult life working as a nanny to support her love of photography. A passion that would result in one or more fully exposed rolls of film per day, ultimately creating more than 100,000 negatives in her lifetime, yet sharing few with anyone. So much so that until 2007 her entire creative output remained unknown.
Shot in rich black and white, deeply contrasted and capturing a fragment of time in these children’s daily lives Maier’s photographs read sincere and very close to her subjects. Photographs like these would be absolutely impossible in the contemporary American society where children are protected from every outside interaction.
Watch our video interview with Alison Rossiter
Stephen Bulger Gallery:
“Vivian Maier was by all accounts, a private person. While she was rarely without her camera, there is little evidence to suggest that she shared her photographs with others. Over the past five years, the caretakers of her collection have had the joy of sharing her work with the world in exhibitions throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. The public reaction to her work is unprecedented and her reputation as a photographer continues to grow as her work is exhibited and appreciated.
To date, four books of Maier’s work have been published, including most recently, Vivian Maier: Eye to Eye written by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams. Ms. Maier has also been the subject of two documentary films: The Vivian Maier Mystery, an award-winning film by the BBC and Finding Vivian Maier, a film in current release that chronicles her life as well as the role that Chicago historian, John Maloof played in bringing her work to the public’s attention.
Though Vivian Maier’s work was never exhibited in her lifetime, it is now apparent that her work will live on, inspiring others and establishing her as one of the best street photographers of the 20th century.”
Images in this article:
Featured Image: New York (Girl Seated on Brick Wall), circa 1951-55 © Vivian Maier / Courtesy of the Jeffrey Goldstein Collection and Stephen Bulger Gallery
Chicago, North Suburbs (Boy in Winter Hat), 1969 © Vivian Maier / Courtesy of the Jeffrey Goldstein Collection and Stephen Bulger Gallery
Chicago (Boys Posing on Street), 1968 © Vivian Maier / Courtesy of the Jeffrey Goldstein Collection and Stephen Bulger Gallery
Los Angeles (Two Children Kissing at Tennis Net), 1955 © Vivian Maier / Courtesy of the Jeffrey Goldstein Collection and Stephen Bulger Gallery
New York (Girl with Music Box), 1951 © Vivian Maier / Courtesy of the Jeffrey Goldstein Collection and Stephen Bulger Gallery
Wilmette, Il (Boy with Glasses), circa 1967-68 © Vivian Maier / Courtesy of the Jeffrey Goldstein Collection and Stephen Bulger Gallery
This article © galleryIntell. Portions of the quoted text appear in the original press release issued by the Stephen Bulger Gallery.
