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How many brilliant artists are lost to time, their work and talent never revealed to the public eye?

 was almost one such artist. An introvert by nature who grew up partly in France and partly in the United States, Maier spent her adult life in Chicago as a nanny or "child nurse," as she wrote on her legal papers. In her spare time she would roam the city streets, her camera forever hanging around her neck, slyly capturing city life with a meek demeanor and a sharp eye.

By the time she died, Maier had taken more than 120,000 photographs, but few people had seen her work. It was only when a storage locker was sold to pay her debts that the extent -- and quality -- of her work came to light.

Now, the majority of her work is divided into three different private collections, which have served to inspire a number of 

"I think that the work is both artistic and accessible and that's what makes it so unique," said Rich Cahan, co-author of the book "

," which is also the name of the exhibition opening this weekend at

. "It's undeniably beautiful and it's understandable."

The idea of Vivian Maier not being alive to enjoy -- and profit from -- the new-found popularity of her work might seem tragic to some, but Cahan sees it differently.

"Maybe it's the only way it could play out. She was such a private person, that if someone had approached her and asked to put her images on the internet or in a gallery, I think the likelihood would have been that she would not have approved," he said. "The fact is that she did pass away, and the photos fell into the hands of people who appreciated and learned what to do with them, which is remarkably sweet."

Even though he has written a book about Maier, which involved untold interviews with people who knew her, Cahan admits she still eludes easy understanding.

"She's still 'in the shadows.' And while at first glance that's a disappointment, on second thought I think it's good she remains a mystery," he said. "That was an important part of her life."

Later, he adds "I'm glad she wasn't famous in her lifetime. She took photographs for herself, and that's why it's so direct."

For Cahan, her life and her work offer a lesson for everyone.

"She was dismissed as a person during life; she looked like a homeless woman and she had trouble making connections with people," he said. "She drifted through on the edges of society."

And yet Maier viewed society -- all of it -- with a detailed and sympathetic eye.

"And I think all the people that pass us, that we dismiss, have something to say if we just slowed down and looked," Cahan said.

"Vivian Maier: Out of the Shadows" opens at the 

 tomorrow evening with a reception at 6:30 p.m. and runs through March 1.

Arts and Culture

State of the Arts Blog

Marianne Combs

Author

How many brilliant artists are lost to time, their work and talent never revealed to the public eye? Vivian Maier was almost one such artist. An introvert by nature who grew up partly in France and partly in the United States, Maier spent her adult life in Chicago as a nanny or “child nurse,” as 

How many brilliant artists are lost to time, their work and talent never revealed to the public eye? Vivian Maier was almost one such artist. An introvert by nature who grew up partly in France and partly in the United States, Maier spent her adult life in Chicago as a nanny or “child nurse,” as Read more →


Photographer Vivian Maier: a great talent, discovered late

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