Re-framing photographer Vivian Maier: "The public canonized her"
Toronto gallery owner on purchasing work that never seemed intended for public view.
Stephen Bulger has acquired thousands of negatives belonging to the reclusive Vivian Maier -- but the Toronto gallery owner still struggles with the mystery of the late "nanny photographer".
For 40 years, Maier took stunning candid shots and self portraits on the streets of Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. In 2007, her negatives were discovered in an abandoned storage locker and made popular by media coverage of her hidden talent.
Bulger joins guest host Damian Abraham to discuss the story of a street photographer shrouded in secrets, and how he feels about purchasing work that may not have been intended for public view.
Click here or on the listen button above to hear the full segment (audio runs 0:15:24), and see some samples of Vivian Maier's work below.
This undated photograph provided on Jan. 6, 2011 by Maloof Colection Ltd. showing two unidentified boys was taken by Vivian Maier, titled "Canada." (AP Photo/Maloof Collection Ltd., Vivian Maier)
This undated photograph provided on Jan. 6, 2011 by Maloof Colection Ltd. showing a man wearing a hat and carrying a newspaper was taken by Vivian Maier, titled "Chicago, Ill." (AP Photo/Maloof Collection Ltd., Vivian Maier)
This Sept. 1956 photograph provided on Jan. 6, 2011 by Maloof Colection Ltd. showing a woman standing next to a bus was taken by Vivian Maier, titled "Sept., 1956, New York, N.Y." (AP Photo/Maloof Collection Ltd., Vivian Maier)
This undated photograph provided on Jan. 6, 2011 by Maloof Colection Ltd. shows an undated and untitled self portrait of Vivian Maier. Maier, who worked as a nanny, scoured the streets day and night, venturing into strange and sometimes dicey neighborhoods. Her constant companion was a camera. Over five decades, she shot tens of thousands of photos. Few were seen by anyone but her. (AP Photo/Maloof Collection Ltd., Vivian Maier)