Oliver’s biographer, Lindsay Whalen, is a consultant on the documentary, which allowed Waters to access Oliver’s archives before they were delivered to the Library of Congress.
“She did not keep a diary, but she did carry around these little pocket-sized notebooks where she made notes,” Waters says. “Having access to those was really helpful in getting insight into her process.”
Waters also worked with two VCUarts Photography + Film alumni, Tyler Kirby (B.F.A. ’14) and Janelle Proulx (M.F.A. ’14) of Departure Point Films. The three filmmakers first crossed paths when Kirby and Proulx were approaching graduation and Waters had just been hired as the department chair. While they’ve remained in contact since, Saved by the Beauty of the World is their first project together.
Saved by the Beauty of the World is Waters’ latest documentary, following Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable. The film changed the understanding of the artist’s legacy and was called one of the year’s best by The New Yorker and won a Special Jury Prize at the SXSW Film Festival. Waters is now collaborating on a book, Garry Winogrand Archive 1948-1984, with photographer Jeffrey Ladd and Artbook l D.A.P.
“I’m really interested in outsiders—people who are maybe dark horses, or unexpected,” she says. “I’m interested in people who find success a little bit later in life, and who work hard at their craft. I think there’s so much to admire there.”
All photos by permission of NW Orchard LLC.
