LOS ANGELES, CA.- KP Projects is presenting an exhibition of Vivian Maier photographs entitled Living Color featuring new chromogenic color prints, black and white gelatin silver prints, and a rare selection of Lifetime prints from the Maloof collection. It is the inaugural exhibition at the gallerys new location at 633 N. La Brea Avenue.
Vivian Maiers poignant visual narrative continues to captivate public attention as one of the most important photographers of the 20th Century, despite being virtually unknown to the public during her lifetime. Maiers allure endures even though many details of her life continue to remain a mystery, leaving her photographs to tell us much about whom she was.
Discovered and acquired by John Maloof in 2007 at a local Chicago auction house, the vast collection of Maiers negatives, film, and prints capture urban and domestic spheres, as well as more intimate moments through self-portraiture. As an unsuspecting nanny with a sharp wit and observant eye, her work reflects a curiosity and keenness to interpret the world around her, and an unrelenting dedication to document everyday life.
Capturing bystanders, city slickers, and the singular identities of people and places commonly overlooked, Vivian Maier uncovered a profound beauty below the surface of society's clean facade. As renowned photographer Joel Meyerowitz put it, Maier was a quick study of human nature, of the unfolding moment, the flash of a gesture, or the mood of a facial expression brief events that turned the quotidian life of the street into a revelation for her.
Striving to disentangle the turbulent political and social order of the time, Maier also recognized class and gender structures through visual commentary on the role of women, and the disenfranchised. Themes of disparity and social connection reflected complex notions of the modern world, while the artists expansive oeuvre, revealed exquisite perception on the delicacy of humanity. Of her color work, Meyerowitz has written there is a fierce intelligence weaving its way throughout the color work
Maier was an early poet of color photography.
The exhibition Living Color coincides with the first monograph of color photographs by Vivian Maier entitled The Color Work, recently released by Harper Collins. The opening reception on Saturday, December 1st will be hosted by Tim Roth, with John Maloof, of the Maloof collection, also in attendance.
Finding Vivian Maier, the critically acclaimed 2014 documentary film written and directed by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel garnered an Academy Award nomination for best documentary. Additional monographs of Maiers work include Vivian Maier: Street Photographer, published in 2011, and Vivian Maier: Self Portraits, published in 2014, both published by Powerhouse Books.