Streets Ahead – Challenge 5 – ‘Selfies’ – Showcase
Welcome to the showcase for our fifth challenge ‘Selfies in the style of Vivian Maier’. The objective of these challenges is to help us collectively practice and perhaps learn some new techniques. Each challenge will be based either on a shooting technique or perhaps a theme. We would like Streets Ahead to be and interactive group, and for members to try to participate in the challenges.
If you are a woman street photographer, please join our growing community (see links below).
With many congratulations to Armineh Hovanesian, Arijana Gurdon, Cara Gallardo Weil, Cecily Batey Caceu, Dani Salvadori, Gina Costa, Liz Traynor,Anne-Martine Parent, Stef Lp, Vanessa Vox, Giulia Baita and Lee Atwell
Flickr Group (for weekly showcase submissions)
Flickr Challenge Group (this is a social group to enter your images for our Challenges)
Facebook Group (for information sharing/discussions)
The showcase video has been curated and created by Cara Gallardo Weil and the commentary by Gina Costa, enjoy!
The selected images that I have chosen to highlight for the Streets Ahead – Selfie Challenge are directly inspired by Vivian’s own selfies and demonstrate the individual mobile artist’s own knowledge of Vivian’s work. This was my primary criterion for selecting the following images.
Untitled – Arijana Gurdon
Arijana completely captures the formal style and aesthetic spirit of Vivian Maier’s selfies. The formal compartmentalizing of the subject separated from the background action, the expressionless straight-forward documenting of her face with the camera held up chest-level, and of course the unidentifiable foreground elements are all hallmarks of Vivian’s style.
Untitled – Giulia Baita
Giulia’s selfie is also ‘classic Vivian Maier’ in the vertical divisions of the composition, the intriguing and unidentifiable location, and inclusion of the mysterious background figure walking through the shot. I especially like the contrasts of textures in each of the zones of the composition.
Untitled – Lee Atwell
This shot is also ‘classic Vivian Maier’ in spirit and composition. Maier shot dozens of ‘selfie shadows’ over the course of her life. The brilliance of Lee’s eye not only captures the selfie once, but twice – in this 17th century Dutch technique of reflecting a reflection! (17th century Dutch painters established this compositional device, offering it to the succeeding generations of artists who were keen enough to mimic it). The clean lines, compartmentalized composition, and playfulness of the “two shadows” make this a great selfie capture.
Video Showcase
Cara Gallardo Weil and Gina Costa
Cara is a Graphic Designer and amateur photographer with a passion for mobile photography. Born in Hong Kong to Filipino parents who moved there in the early 60s to work in publishing, her early life was spent in Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines. She studied graphic design in London and spent more than 20 years here before returning to Hong Kong, where she currently resides. Cara brings to her street photography a wonderful international and cultural perspective. Currently living in Chicago, Gina Costa is a museum curator and lecturer on 20th century art and photography. She has worked at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC; The Art Institute of Chicago and has taught art history at a variety of universities. Gina is currently working on a publication and exhibition that explores the current discourse on the use of mobile technology and how it has changed the way one defines what a photograph can be.
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Stef LP
Amazing selfs here.
The music fit so well.
Beautiful thing to see all these lovely ladies.
Good company to be in …thank you.
Meri Walker
This is such a creative idea for a showcase challenge! Love seeing the work!
Cecily Caceu
Love it!!! Such a great collection of selfies and the music is perfect too!!!