Vivian Maier Research

In my own view this picture could be considered art; the logic that she essentially could be inside someone else's space - their private doings, almost like being in someones mind. She is looking into someone else's life through guarded walls, hooded eyes - in this case the window.
The houses behind are like a past looming behind, everywhere she goes. Even if she is looking forward, she will always see her past, whats behind her when looking into reflections.
To me it is art, to me I see a woman looking forward into new, things, finding their self in new peoples lives. Despite this, her past, her background will always be there, it'll always be with her.




Vivian Dorothy Maier (February 1, 1926 – April 21, 2009) was an American street photographer. Maier worked for about forty years as a nanny, mostly in Chicago's North Shore pursuing photography during her spare time. She took more than 150,000 photographs during her lifetime, primarily of the people and architecture of New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles, although she also traveled and photographed worldwide.

"She was a Socialist, a Feminist, a movie critic, and a tell-it-like-it-is type of person. She learned English by going to theaters, which she loved. ... She was constantly taking pictures, which she didn't show anyone" I think this reported description of Vivian says a lot. She was a feminist, standing up for womens equal rights, showing that she has as much worth as any man that passes by, I fee like this woman would be inspirational, confident and sure of herself. I think the fact that she includes herself in her pictures, (taken by herself of course) could represent that she doesn't want to photograph things she is just seeing, but maybe of things she is living. Like her being in that photography says something; it stand out, it says she was alive, she was living and she was there. 
  Her work seems to have a different concept to most work. I like that fact that she is different, that she includes herself in her art. Sometimes it is not the objects, but the person themselves that is the art.