Diane Arbus

Key facts

Lived

1923–1971, American^[1]

Movements

• portrait
• portrait photography

^[1]

Works held in

3 museums

Wikipedia

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• What is Diane Arbus known for?+

  Diane Arbus is known for photographing subjects that mainstream photography avoided. These included transvestites, nudists, circus performers, and people with dwarfism or gigantism.
• What is Diane Arbus's most famous work?+

  Diane Arbus is best known for her portraits of people she saw as societal outsiders. These included circus performers, transgender people, and others often described as "freaks". While it is difficult to single out one definitive work, "Identical Twins, Roselle, N.J." (1967^[1]) is among her most recognised photographs. It depicts two young sisters, Cathleen and Colleen Wade, in matching dresses. The image's unsettling quality arises from the subtle differences in their expressions and poses, challenging the notion of identicality. Arbus's work often explores themes of identity, normality, and the relationship between the photographer and subject. Her portraits are not always flattering; she aimed to capture the essence of her subjects, sometimes revealing vulnerability or discomfort. This approach has led to both praise and criticism, with some accusing her of exploitation, while others see her as a compassionate observer.
• What should I know about Diane Arbus's prints?+

  When considering Diane Arbus's prints, bear in mind that the market distinguishes between various types. A 'vintage print' is made around the time the negative was taken. A 'period print' is one made within roughly 10 to 15 years after. Anything printed later is termed an 'old print' or a 'modern print'. An 'original print' is a definitive print made by the artist or under their direct supervision. A 'facsimile' is a print made by re-photographing a print, or using the original negative, with a base and processing as close as possible to a vintage print. Photographs, unlike paintings or sculptures, rely on industrial processes both before and after the shot. The photographic print results from an artisan process: the shot, the negative's development, and the printing. The photographer may do all three. The market often refers to the 'unique print', using metaphors from painting or sculpture, such as 'light is the photographer's clay'. Some photographers do not print their own photographs; however, a signed photograph is often considered an original.
• What style or movement did Diane Arbus belong to?+

  Diane Arbus is associated with street photography, a style that emerged in the 1960s alongside Pop art. Street photographers aimed to capture unposed, casual images, resembling amateur snapshots, to eliminate any sense of artificiality. Arbus, along with Robert Frank, Bruce Davidson, Garry Winogrand, Lee Friedlander, and Joel Meyerowitz, documented the "social scene" of urban life. Arbus is known for her photographs of individuals she termed "freaks": transvestites, hermaphrodites, giants, and dwarfs. Her approach to these marginalised subjects was notably free of prejudice. Paradoxically, her photographs of "normal" people, caught in unscripted moments, often appear the most unsettling. A retrospective of Arbus's work at the Museum of Modern Art in 1972 elicited strong reactions; some viewers were so disturbed by the perceived ugliness of her subjects that they spat on the pictures.
• What techniques or materials did Diane Arbus use?+

  Diane Arbus is known for her square format photographs, often using a twin-lens reflex camera. This camera allowed her to view the subject through one lens while the other lens captured the image. Arbus primarily worked with black and white film. She typically used medium format film, which produces a larger negative than 35mm film, resulting in greater detail and sharpness in the final print. In terms of printing, Arbus favoured a distinctive style. She often printed her photographs with a full frame, including the black border around the image. This was a departure from conventional printing practices, where the border is usually cropped off. The inclusion of the border provides a sense of context and emphasises the photograph as an object. She also used a high contrast, which accentuated the tonal range and details within her images.
• What was Diane Arbus known for?+

  Diane Arbus (1923^[1]-1971^[1]) was a photographer associated with the 'snapshot aesthetic' style that emerged in the 1960s. This approach favoured casual, unposed photographs, in an attempt to banish artifice. Arbus, along with other 'street photographers' such as Robert Frank and Garry Winogrand, documented the 'social picture' of cities. Arbus is particularly known for her images of marginalised people, such as transvestites, hermaphrodites, giants, and dwarfs. She approached these subjects without prejudice. However, her photographs of 'normal' people, captured in unstudied poses, could also be unsettling. One photograph of a mother and child was considered so unflattering that viewers spat on it during a 1972 retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art.
• When did Diane Arbus live and work?+

  Diane Arbus was born Diane Nemerov in New York City on 14 March 1923^[1]. She died there on 26 July 1971^[1]. Arbus's career began in commercial fashion photography. From 1941^[1], she worked with her husband, Allan Arbus, running a studio. She studied photography with Berenice Abbott in 1955, and with Lisette Model in 1957. By the early 1960s, Arbus had developed her signature style of portraiture. She photographed people on the margins of society: circus performers, transgender people, and others considered to be outsiders. Her work often explored themes of identity, normality, and the relationship between photographer and subject. Arbus's photographs were included in a Museum of Modern Art exhibition in 1967, 'New Documents'. This helped to establish her reputation as an important figure in contemporary photography. A year after her death, in 1972, Arbus was the first photographer to be featured in the Venice Biennale.
• Where can I see Diane Arbus's work?+

  Diane Arbus's work can be viewed in several locations. In New York City, the Museum of Modern Art holds examples of her photography. The Metropolitan Museum of Art also has some of her pieces. Outside of New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, has some photographs by Arbus. The Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, CT, also holds her works. These institutions provide opportunities to view and study Arbus's contributions to photography. It is always worth checking with the museum in advance, to learn which specific works are on display. Many museums also offer online catalogues. These may include works that are in the permanent collection, but not currently on display.
• Where was Diane Arbus from?+

  Diane Arbus is associated with a style of photography that arose in the 1960s called "snapshot aesthetic". Along with other practitioners like Robert Frank, Bruce Davidson, Garry Winogrand, Lee Friedlander and Joel Meyerowitz, Arbus documented the "social realities" of urban centres. Arbus is known for photographing subjects considered marginal; transvestites, hermaphrodites, giants and dwarfs. Her approach was direct, and without prejudice. It is often said that her photographs of so-called 'normal' people, captured in unposed moments, could be seen as more grotesque than her photos of those on the fringes. Other photographers associated with New York include Helen Levitt, born in Brooklyn, and Jerome Liebling, also born in New York.
• Who did Diane Arbus influence?+

  Diane Arbus's photography, particularly her portraits, has had an impact on subsequent generations of photographers and artists. Her approach to subject matter, often focusing on individuals outside mainstream society, has been both praised and criticised. Nan Goldin, who began photographing drag queens and transsexuals in the early 1970s, can be seen as an artist who built on some of Arbus's themes. While drag queens had been photographed before, Goldin's work differed. It presented a more intimate and less voyeuristic perspective, arising from her close relationships with her subjects. Goldin aimed to humanise her subjects, moving away from the idea of them as simply unusual or "other". Goldin, along with other "Boston School" artists such as Philip-Lorca diCorcia and Shellburne Thurber, often photographed people in their own environments. Cindy Sherman, who emerged on the New York art scene in the early 1980s, also shares some connections with Arbus. Sherman's work examines identity and representation, often through self-portraits in which she adopts different personae. Her photographs disrupt traditional ideas about the artist and model, and about looking.
• Who influenced Diane Arbus?+

  It is difficult to identify specific individuals who directly influenced Diane Arbus. One source mentions Paul Sachs, who worked at Harvard's Fogg Art Museum; Arbus bought his book *Modern Prints and Drawings* after graduating from high school. She thought Boston "must be the place to go" and attended the Museum School for a semester. However, she found it "horrible" and "old-fashioned". Another artist, William Baziotes, admired Piero della Francesca, Titian, Rembrandt, Utamaro, Rubens, Velasquez, Goya, Fragonard, Ingres, Corot, Seurat, Renoir, Bonnard, Matisse and Miro. He also noted the importance of artistic communities and the unconscious collaboration between artists, naming Mondrian, Duchamp, Max Ernst, and Miro as examples of artists who practiced their uniqueness. While there is no direct connection between Baziotes and Arbus, their shared interest in the unconscious may be relevant.
• Who was Diane Arbus?+

  Diane Arbus (born in New York, 1923^[1]; died in 1971^[1]) was a photographer known for a style that emerged in the 1960s called "snapshot aesthetic". This style involved professionals taking casual, unposed photographs that resembled amateur work. The aim was to remove any sense of artificiality. Arbus, along with other "street photographers" such as Robert Frank and Garry Winogrand, documented the "social scene" of cities. She is particularly known for her images of marginalised people, such as transvestites, hermaphrodites, giants, and dwarfs. Her approach was to photograph these subjects without judgement. Interestingly, some critics have suggested that her photographs of "normal" people, captured in unstudied poses, can appear grotesque. A 1972 retrospective of Arbus's work at the Museum of Modern Art provoked strong reactions; some viewers found the images so disturbing that they spat on them. A portfolio of her work, *A Box of Ten Photographs*, was released in 1970^[1].