Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Vivian Maier, Photographer - The Very First New York Exhibition

Vivian Maier ( self portrait)

Vivian Maier

Vivian Maier

Vivian Maier
Vivian Maier

Last Monday, I was so  fortunate to be part of  a breakfast and private tour along with Gabrielle Larew, the Director of the Doma Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina, Photographer Magdalene Sole and its Vivian's Maier exhibition curator, Mr. John A. Bennette at the Hearst Tower.

 At The Hearst Foundation now on display till January 31, 2011, has  a quite wonderful and the very first NY exhibition of the recently discovered talented photographer, Vivian Maier.


Vivian Maier, Photographer on display until January 31, 2012 is quite wonderful and the very first NY exhibition of the recently discovered talented photographer, Vivian Maier.

Her great photography , mostly of a street photography theme was created throughout her whole life while she worked as a nanny, in a very similar manner of how current photographer Zoe Strauss started doing photography.

The exhibition is just  exquisite, a joy for any fine art photography lover like us truly. John A Bennette its curator, elusive and seldom seen, did not missed a single detail putting this show together  down to the beautiful metal plaques for the photo titles...just so fabulous!

The exhibition starts with a video presentation created by Tom Palazzola suggested byJohn with the help of Jeffery Goldstein and Anne Zakaras of Vivian Maier Prints Inc.. The film of her history and  her work  includes unseen film shorts made by Vivian .There are sixty photographs 20 vintage taken in new York between 1950-54.  The contemporary black and white  photographs (editions of 15 only) are silver gelatin printed by master printer  Ron Gordon with Sandra Steinbrecher. The prints matted and framed in a very classic and striking manner. There is also on display several  cameras and archival material used by Vivian.


Accompanying the exhibition there is a very nice catalog ( which I loved taking home) of the exhibition images and inventory.

The setting for this exhibition is quite fitting for showcasing Vivian Maier work, right in the middle of the city, where the hustle and bustle were the main theme of her photography works but, also in such a perfect and secluded private time capsule that the Hearst Foundation has created for exhibiting true gems of art.

I strongly recommend you to try to see this exhibition (by appointment only). If not possible , Steven Kasher Gallery in Chelsea and Howard Greenberg Gallery will have subsequent exhibitions of her work this December. Vivian was very prolific so, this is just a slight crack of an open door. More to come.

Lastly, thank you John! No matter how hard my week turned out to be, I can always look back and remember what a  great start, you gave me Monday.

 Gabrielle Larew, Ruben Natal-San Miguel


 Gabrielle Larew, Magdalene Sole and Ruben Natal-San Miguel

 Rube Natal-San Miguel and Gabrielle Larew

 Gabrielle Larew, Magdalene Sole and Ruben Natal-San Miguel

3 comments:

jeff goldstein said...

We, Anne Zakaras, and I, Jeffrey Goldstein, and the rest of the team from the Vivian Maier project, thank you Madalene Sole and Ruben Natal-San Miguel for taking the time to see the show and for posting your comments.
As always, thanks to John Bennette, tho "elusive' he is everywhere. And quit the old school gentleman to boot. Without John's kindness with a killer's eye, this show would not exists.
Again, thanks, Jeff Goldstein

Anonymous said...

thank you Ruben and Jeffery ... I am not usually out make a lot of rsvp's but never show,Anyway I could never do the little I do without the kindness of strangers

ruben said...

No, thank you!