Perhaps today, Vivian Maier would have posted her more than 100,000 photographs of everyday life in Chicago on Flickr or Facebook. In the 1950s, this was not an option.
Why did she take so many photographs when she clearly knew that hardly anyone would ever see them?
It’s always struck me that though it’s wonderful for an artist to be discovered and to have his or her worked shared, it’s really, at the core, about the process for the artist and that more genuine work is created. What happens after that is secondary.
Unless or course, you’re trying to make your living from your art, in which case, you do need to worry about sharing it and getting it out there.
What do you think of this balancing act?
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There is a book of her images here.
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It’s a real conundrum; the amount of time and effort to market really, IMO, detracts from my time to create, but if I don’t market effectively then I don’t earn anything apart from creative satisfaction from what I do.
sigh
Ah, yes… I think that conundrum of balancing time for marketing with getting the work done is sure a constant with artists. Figuring out what works for you is the hard part. Some seem to lean one way or the other.
My observation is that many shy away from the marketing side of things, understandably.
Yeah… I don’t know. To me… making art that no-one will see is pretty much the same as cooking delicious food that no-one will eat. What doesn’t get eaten is wasted. And whilst reward may be in the process… it’s the sharing that enriches your soul and provides the nourishment for further creative growth.
Good topic John… [love her work]
Jean, I’m totally in agreement about how important it is for people to know an artist’s work. I guess it’s just that I’m intrigued by those who somehow “don’t need it.” It’s a rare breed.
I guess there are also those cases where an artist may truly care less but the world discovers them regardless.
I’ve been following the story about Vivian Maier since it first came out with the discovery of her negatives…now she’s finally got a show, albeit too late.
She’s a mystery…maybe she felt that “someday” she’d do something with her photography, and like a lot of people that “someday” never came.
Great of you to stop by Harry. I guess if Vivian had thought “someday” she certainly would be like so many of us who say “someday” but then we let life intrude and get in the way of art, dreams, different destinies and such. Ahh.