Vivian Maier exhibition postcard/ August 2014.
This past Saturday my friend Robert and I made the "pilgrimage" to Chicago in order to see 3 long awaited exhibits.
After arriving there early in the morning, we hit the Washington Harold Library in Downtown Chicago for the exhibit
"Vivian Maier: Out of Shadows". It was a decent show. A lot of pictures, added with some of the articles published after her "discovery" along with a display of a Rolleiflex camera similar to the one used by the artist, for those not familiar with it, along with some other memorabilia objects.
The exhibit was ok, just a display of her work trying to give the regular person a general idea of what she did, who maybe she was and how she was, this by some of the quotes or interpretations stated as framed quotes or excerpts along the 4 walls that composed the gallery. Added to that, at the end the shows invited viewers to either take their photo with a Polaroid camera in order to emulate her own style of selfishies, I mean selfies using a mirror installed on the room; or by posting photos taken around Chicago in a special Flickr Group in order to "discover the next undiscovered talent" or something like that, despite that is not stated who will benefit from that.
Anyway, the show was ok. Serves the purpose of sharing a little more about her. In my personal case and curiosity about her, I found relatively new and actually more interesting, the compositions made either in home settings or on the street, that did not involve either portraits or self-portraits for what she has become more known or at least the ones that have been more promoted. I think it was great (to me) to see those compositions as they are heavily loaded in rich narrative, playing with the duality of absence and presence in very fine composed images of the most mundane objects.
The show is still open and if you have a chance I recommend you see it.
After that, we made our way to the Art Institute of Chicago, where we originally made the plan and reason to make the trip: 2 shows that are a must see for anyone that has either pick a brush or a camera and made it their reason of life: the retrospective of
Renee Magritte "The Mystery of the Ordinary" (from the years 1926 to 1938)ñ and the first retrospective in the United States in almost 25 years of who I considered one of the greatest photographers still alive:
Josef Koudelka, Nationality Doubtful.
In one hand, the Magritte exhibits not only was richly amazing, but also shed some light in some aspects of his work; for example I did not know myself that he relied heavily on photographs to make his paintings. Sometimes even commissioning photo work to friends like Man Ray in order to achieve or to have a preview of his final vision. Also, the way the exhibit was designed and hanged was great. It is the first time I go to a major museum where the galleries are completely dark with the only dim lights pointing at the pieces and nothing more. It was great, as you felt like walking in some kind of dream tunnel where Magritte dreams were to become yours. Great exhibit.
On the other hand, Koudelka. What can I say? No words can described the admiration I feel for his work, specially the work he made for Divadlo and the theater groups. Added to his work there, samples of the work Gypsies and the Prague 68 Russian Invasion were there, allowing to see many more photos that I never got a chance to see more than in books. Also my other favorite body of work, Exiles left me speechless as we made the walk through the 3 galleries the exhibit took place, in order to accommodate all his work, specially the panoramic photographs he has taken, some of which were enlarged to a size that made you feel absorbed by them.
3 exhibits, 3 people I really enjoy in different ways. A great Saturday.
(click on the image to enlarge) 
