Dana Perelberg ’20
The large, long room was mostly empty except for the walls, which were covered by a variety of both colored and black and white photographs placed on white backgrounds. Vivian Maier, a nanny and photography hobbyist, took these photographs, but they were only printed and viewed by audiences after Maier’s death in 2009. Now they are on display at Westport Arts Center until Nov. 10.
When Maier moved to the United States, her passion was photography. Over the course of five decades, Vivian shot more than 100,000 photographs, a majority of which were taken in New York City and Chicago.
“She was just somebody with a secret passion, a secret hobby that was purely for her own pleasure. She didn’t share her photographs with anybody, which makes it very interesting,” Lillie Fortino, a photographer and employee at Westport Arts Center said. “And being able to uncover them, you know, years and years later and discover this great artistic eye, just goes to prove that anybody has that ability. Just follow your passion, follow your dreams, and do what you love.”
Maier’s photographs mostly featured the less fortunate. According to her official website,
Vivianmaier.com, she was motivated to take their pictures due to“an emotional kinship she felt with those struggling to get by.” Though she faced many hardships and bumps in the road, including financial issues herself, her desire to take meaningful photographs prevailed.
“[This exhibit] represents her eccentricity,” Fortino said. “It represents her curiosity about the world. It really shows how she was a hidden figure in society but she observed everything.”
Maier’s journey is a testament to the adage that passion pays off.
“Vivian’s photographs make people reflect on their life and their decisions and cause them to follow their passions,” Nicole Caiati ’20 said.
Since the discovery of Maier’s photographs, her life has been featured in a documentary about her secret lifestyle, called “Finding Vivian Maier,” and can be viewed on Netflix.
“It feels so good to see a community enchanted with her work just like I was for so many years,” Fortino said.
