I’ve written several entries on Vivian Maier and then on another previously unknown great photographer, Jack Sharp. I’ve thought about all the other world class photographers out there making important images that will most likely never be seen by most of us, let alone get the rightful recognition they deserve … either because showing their work did not matter to them or they just weren’t recognized for the greatness they had. I’ve had the good fortune to come to know a number of world class photographers that most will never know about; they work primarily because of their passion and a rage to do what they love. My guess is that there’s a treasure trove of work out there waiting to be discovered. I hope it will be! Meanwhile though, we get bogged down by the dreck that’s out there masquerading for high art.
So how many Vivian Maiers and Jack Sharps are out there … past and present, waiting to be discovered or rediscovered? The short answer is we will never know, but I know I will be inspired by their work and their passion for what they deeply love/loved wherever they are. Just this past week my neighbor saved an article from the NY Times he thought I would enjoy. It was all about another newly discovered/rediscovered black and white film photographer. Yet another Vivian Maier and Jack Sharp! For all of you that know about this, yes, I’m behind the power curve on this one, but better late than never! The newest find is Zaharia Cusnir and I highly recommend you check out the December 12th NY Times story here https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/19/world/europe/photographer-moldova-soviet-cusnir.html.
Cusnir is yet another example of an individual that lived a complete photographic life out of sheer passion, and that passion drove him to do great work with the simplest of tools that most would sneer at today. He developed his film and created his prints in a small bedroom in his tiny house. One can only imagine his darkroom equipment! Born in 1912 and living in what was once the Kingdom of Romania, but was annexed and became part of the Soviet Union and is now Moldova, Cusnir photographed life around him primarily during the Fifties and Sixties. He was completely unknown, except to those who lived around him. He died in 1993, but it wasn’t until 2016 that 4,000 of his negatives were discovered by accident when a few of them fell through a hole in the ceiling of his old home and were discovered by a student researching to do a film documentary of the village he had lived in. They were hidden in the attic were Cusnir stored them prior to his death … and the rest as they say is history. Now there are shows throughout Europe, one coming up in the US and perhaps a tabletop book.
I’m grateful and frankly humbled by this important discovery, and beginning to think there will be more such discoveries/rediscoveries in the years to come as more and more people are tuned into what they are finding. Like Maier, and Diane Arbus, Cusnir used nothing more than a simple twin lens reflex camera, but in this case, it was not a mighty Rolleiflex, but rather a cheap and crude pre-World War II Soviet made Lubitel. Maybe that is why his work is so good. One camera, one lens, always the same, and not the best quality. Because that was all Cusnir had access to or could afford, he was forced to learn how to get the very most out of it and force it to enable him to bring his wonderful vision to fruition. All of this while living in a repressive and stultifying society that was post World War II Eastern Europe.
For these reasons alone, he may be a more impressive a figure than the other new discoveries and is a lesson on what can be achieved if you deeply love what you’re doing and are completely dedicated to the fulfillment of your vision, no matter what the struggle or are.
The photographic world is a better place because of Zaharia Cusnir.
Stay well,
Michael