The documentary I chose to watch is “Finding Vivian Maier” by John Maloof and Charlie Siskell. Being a photographer myself, I have heard of Vivian Maier many times, however, I did not know very much about her work or her as a person. As an artist, I find that the most honest and intriguing work comes from some of the darkest and most difficult times in your life—that is how it is for me at least. From what I have learned in this documentary, I believe that it is safe to say that that is the case for Vivian Maier as well.
Today, mainstream culture is exceptionally public—with social media, television and the Internet, privacy is no longer a popular condition. In fact, our lives revolve around attention and sharing our every move for the world to see. We follow celebrities and strive to be like them, and we are becoming more and more translucent beings, as we share more and more via the Internet. What struck me about Vivian Maier is how incredibly private and guarded she was. Although the people that knew her best speculate that her behavior stemmed from some sort of abuse, her life remains quite a mystery. As a very quiet, reflective person, I saw parts of me in Vivian. I am an introvert, an empath, and I am profoundly sensitive to the world around me. I think that people like me are rare in our society today. I often find myself feeling very alone with my thoughts and feelings, which causes me to want to protect them even more, because I don’t feel as though anyone will quite be able to understand or relate to who I am and how I think. As a creator, I observe, absorb, and make work that is as expressive and honest as possible—I put everything inside of me into my work because that is my only vehicle to release my emotions. When your work is so personal and honest, I feel that it is natural to be very private and almost protective over it. In watching this documentary, I think that is exactly how Maier’s felt. I think that mainstream culture has not only been impacted by the truthfulness in her work, but they are fascinated by the mystery that is Vivian Maier. We can piece together every facet of her life that was collected, recorded and left behind, but we will never quite know exactly what was going on inside of that cavernous mind of hers.
Vivian was clearly a bit of a tortured soul, but she was incredibly sensitive, observant, and creative. Her work is impressively extensive, and perhaps almost obsessive. She clearly had a bit of an obsession with holding onto memories and facets of life, which is not only evident in the amount of photos and video that she shot, but the amount of objects that she held onto throughout her life. What is so fascinating about Maier’s work and life is that it was not appreciated until she was gone. I remember one of the interviewees questioning how pleased Vivian would be had she been aware of the attention her work is receiving. That is something that struck me. Essentially, her work was hidden during her life for a reason. She lived as a nanny, yet it has become obvious that she has so much more to offer to the world. But why did she not share all of her amazing photographs while she was alive? That is something that we can try to speculate, yet will never truly know. What we do know is that Vivian Maier was an incredibly independent, liberated woman who’s life will forever remain a mystery. Her work is some of the most honest, touching, and curious work I have ever seen, and watching this documentary has given me a sense of liberation as a creator. What a unique story of a profound human being. Perhaps her goal was to live a life that was as pure, honest, and private as possible, with the intention of her mysterious life being uncovered after she was gone. These are all facets of her life that we will never quite know—and that is what makes Maier so incredibly fascinating.