I saw the show at the Steven Kasher gallery in NYC yesterday and was, at least initially, somewhat disapointed by the pictures that they had chosen to print and display. I should qualify this by saying that I grew up in the Chicago area in the 50's and early 60's, the setting from which most of her pictures were taken. Thus, what drew me to her work, as initially displayed on the Internet, was the way that she had recorded the people of that time and place, their environment, and, to a certain extent, their mindset.
The curator of the show seemed to have chosen not to emphasize historical aspect of Ms.Maier's work but, instead, concentrated on her eye for images. One example which sticks in my mind is a grouping of three pictures, one above the other. Taken from behind, each shows a different man with his hands clasped behind his back. The topmost man hold nothing in his hands, the middle one holds a lighted cigarette, and the bottom one holds a dollar bill.
I will be intereted in other peoples reactions to the show as well as other peoples interpretations of her work.
