Monday, December 5, 2011

Vivian- What Have They Done?



I just got my copy of Vivian Maier- Street Photographer. I'm sure Mr. Maloof had the best of intentions here, and no one can ever belittle the importance and significance of discovering and exposing her work to the photographic community at large. This was supposed to be the long awaited tribute in print to Vivian Maier- photography's purposely unknown genius of her time. Instead, Powerhouse has done her a great disservice.

Quite simply, the book is a travesty- her work looks better online than in the reproductions in this book! That's not the way it's supposed to work. One naturally expects the quality of the images to be unleashed and spring to life with the more subtle expanse of tonal values that good print reproduction allows. And yet, these reproductions are unduly harsh, dark, devoid of shadow detail and devoid of life- and despite their contrast, still manage to fall flat! The sepia tone (not reproduced above) does not help. The cold/neutral grays online make her photographs feel current and alive; the book's warm tones act to further antiquate them into near lethal levels of nostalgic overkill.

This book brings to mind Josef Koudelka's original edition of Gypsies, whose horrendously blown out reproductions almost destroyed the power of his images- but even there you could tell the work still shined. Here, it really suffers; there is simply no joy to be had from it.  Had this been my first exposure to Ms. Maier's work, it would have had little more effect than that of an interesting, momentary diversion at a second hand book shop. 

No doubt in ten, twenty years time when her work and legacy is reexamined and reassessed, she will finally be granted the proper quality monograph she so richly deserves (as with Koudelka and others). As for now, one can only hope the upcoming documentary delivers some modicum of justice.

7 comments:

Eric Rose said...

Wow, thanks for saving me a bunch of $$. I was going to get it for my wife as a Christmas present. Not now.

Stan B. said...

Eric, this was one severe disappointment. I was looking forward to it all year... Her work is so life affirming, and the reproductions are just utterly depressing. Got it on Fri, returned it on Sat. I can only guess Powerhouse rushed this out for the quick buck. Could've done better on Blurb.

Didn't see many other reviews today till I got to Amazon- sure enough, some of the same complaints there.

Just hope I'm still around for the definitive edition to come...

Eric Rose said...

The reproductions in Lenswork were pretty good.

Stan B. said...

Thanks for the tip, Eric. Not always a fan of the stuff on Lenswork (tends toward ossification), but the one thing they do guarantee- exceptional reproduction, always.

Edition #97 has 21 images of Vivian's work- and at $12.95! I'm bettin' it easily surpasses the book quality (hope they aint sepia toned). Perhaps this and other magazine publications will have to suffice in the interim.

http://www.lenswork.com/previewpages/lw97/lw97preview.html

Blake Andrews said...

Doesn't seem to have slowed sales. I heard the first edition has already sold out. I'm waiting for it to be reprinted and eventually hit the used market...

Stan B. said...

Blake- Just make sure you don't somehow end up with my copy. Wouldn't wish it on anyone...

Stan B. said...

FWIW- I shot Mr. Maloof a "what up" with the printing inquiry- still waiting on the response...