Welcome to “Maggie Diaz News”
Today – Friday 25th February, is Maggie’s 86th birthday!
We are celebrating by posting 3 great Maggie videos on U-Tube:
Maggie Diaz – Sunday Arts story http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iasVRAoEd5o
Maggie Diaz – ‘I Don’t Do Sweet’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbpj8caQy8k
Maggie Diaz – Dallas Kinney Tribute http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siPNXj_nMls
The ABC story is a great overview of the project and introduction to Maggie if you don’t know the story. I Don’t Do Sweet is a modified version of the slide show with Maggie’s commentary, and The Dallas Kinney Tribute puts Maggie in an American context photographically. Dallas had been searching for Maggie for 48 years to thank her for launching him into the business. From his “accidental apprenticeship” he went on to win a Pulitzer for photo-journalism, took the last official portraits of Bobby Kennedy and was the only press photographer at Martin Luther King’s funeral.
We are in the process of handing over the entire Diaz Collection to The State Library of Victoria and scanning samples as we go, so I look forward to sharing new images as we find them. Maggie will feature in a group show at The State Library in July 2011 which celebrates commercial photographers of the 1930s – 1960s Melbourne. We look forward to sharing more information about this soon.
The Ballarat International Foto Biennale is also featuring Maggie as a Core Artist this August, so get yourself organized to visit Ballarat between the 20th of August and 18th of September, 2011 to see Diaz – Unseen http://www.ballaratfoto.org/bifb11/splash.html
Finally for this first edition, I must pay tribute to John Maloof and Jeff Goldstein of the Vivian Maier Collection http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWEDOnBfDUI. This link was sent to me by Dallas Kinney, with the words ‘Déjà vu Gwen?’ If you’ll watch it you’ll see why. It is an extraordinary story of an unknown, master street photographer of Chicago, who like Maggie, was NOT a woman of her time and whose collection is only now being revealed. The deep connection with Chicago, the era of the photographs and the character of the woman, along with all the mysterious elements is uncanny.
I must thank John, Jeff and the Vivian Maier team giving me the boost of energy that I have needed to launch this blog and share Maggie’s work with a wider audience, but most importantly – do it while Maggie is still around to enjoy it! Who knows? We may get this prodigal ‘one-eyed’ daughter home to Chicago for a show yet!
More about the eye next time…as I have said before, Maggie thought having her left eye removed was a fate worse than death, but now she’s quite happy she survived!
Gwen and Maggie
February 24, 2011 at 12:53 pm
Congratulations on getting this blog off the ground Gwen and here’s wishing Maggie a very happy 86th birthday on the 25th February! More strength to her and her photographic vision.
Cheers,
Cameron
February 24, 2011 at 1:11 pm
Thanks to Cameron and all at the Ballarat International Foto Biennale. Maggie is really looking forward to us putting the next show together…
February 24, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Happy 86th birthday to Maggie! Thank you for the pictures, the inspiration, insights and laughter 🙂 wishing you another strong year, enjoying things you love. Gwen, well done! As always you are doing a magnificent job of making it all happen in a genuine and passionate way.
Best wishes to you both always.
February 24, 2011 at 8:55 pm
Thanks Leah! Putting together the Kingston Show with you was a joy!
February 24, 2011 at 8:23 pm
Great Gwen, love the short bits of chatty text and accompanying photos. Will be something people definitely stay tuned to. Tiff
February 24, 2011 at 8:56 pm
Look forward to continuing this journey with you Tiff! Well done on all your achievements with Scum Pups.
February 25, 2011 at 5:34 pm
Congratulatons to “Maggie the Cat” and of course Dear Gwen, whose friendship and assistance to Maggie is legend. Why have blood relatives when one can have a friend like Gwen? (Hey, that rhymes). We should all be so fortunate.
Regards & happy thoughts – Art (Maggie’s New York brother)
February 26, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Hi Maggie and Gwen, warm greetings from Chicago. We want to wish Maggie a Happy 86th. Birthday and let Gwen know we think she’s doing an incredible job.
We would be honored to have Maggie’s participation in a show in Chicago with Vivian Maier. We’re trying to find a proper venue to make that happen as we speak.
We Chicagoans stick together! If we can get a Chicago show to happen, and you both come in, which I know you will, I’m buying the first round of shots.
Best wishes to you both and congratulations to you both for your wonderful achievements.
Best Wishes, Jeff Goldstein from Vivian Maier Prints Inc
February 26, 2011 at 2:40 pm
Thank you Jeff! We are thrilled to be associated with the Vivian Maier project and will prepare ourselves for any adventures that may bring. Whatever happens, it is thanks to you Chicagoans that we have renewed energy to move forward! Best Regards, Gwen and Maggie
February 26, 2011 at 4:15 pm
Many happy regards Aunt Maggie! You are now a worldwide rocker! Hopefully this kind of exposure will get you and Gwen out to Chicago for a true homecoming. You know we are all pulling for this to happen and continue to prod and poke around all the venues. What a great birthday celebration!
Dawn and Tom
March 1, 2011 at 10:29 am
Wow, very exciting developments! Happy belated birthday to Maggie, look forward to exploring the links
love anne, graham and eesha
March 2, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Happy Birthdays Mags…. I’ll always remember you warning me about too many champagnes… honey, I seemed to of survived last weekend n from what I’m hearing So did You !!! Love you Maggie. Happy Birthday n can’t wait to see you on my return to Melbourne in 6 weeks. Love ya guts Lib xxxx
March 9, 2011 at 9:11 am
Fantastic work Gwen – blog looks wonderful and great to hear the State Library project is all going well. Such a wonderful achievement to ensure our Australian talents are recorded in history via the Library and hope to see a Chicago show as mentioned above – now that would be emotional for you all! Glad to see the Champagne lady is still one of Maggie’s favourites – I enjoy looking at it every day as I walk in my front door!
Love to you, Rich, Tilly and Maggie,
Em and Dom
March 17, 2011 at 10:54 pm
Hey! I think I’ve worked out how to subscribe. I hope so. Wonderful to see this blog, Gwen. Thanks for setting it up. My warmest greetings to Maggie.