Diane Arbus revolutionized photography by focusing on marginalized communities in the mid-20th century. Her intimate portraits of people with disabilities, circus performers, and gender non-conforming individuals challenged societal norms and redefined artistic representation.

Arbus's unique style, characterized by square format and direct gaze, captured the psychological intensity of her subjects. Her work sparked debates about exploitation versus empathy, influencing documentary photography and raising ethical questions that remain relevant today.

Diane Arbus's early life

Childhood in New York City

• Born in 1923 to a wealthy Jewish family that owned a department store on Fifth Avenue
• Sheltered upbringing with limited exposure to the outside world, which later influenced her fascination with marginalized communities
• Attended private schools and showed an early interest in photography, receiving her first camera at age 18

Marriage to Allan Arbus

• Met Allan Arbus while working at her parents' department store in the early 1940s
• Married in 1941 and began a commercial photography business together, with Diane as the art director and Allan as the photographer
• Collaborated on fashion photography for magazines such as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar

Early career in fashion photography

• Worked primarily in fashion photography during the 1940s and 1950s, creating stylized and unconventional images
• Developed a keen eye for composition and a unique perspective on her subjects
• Grew dissatisfied with the limitations and superficiality of commercial photography, leading to her transition to art photography

Transition to art photography

Studying with Lisette Model

• Began studying with Austrian-born photographer Lisette Model in the late 1950s
• Model encouraged Arbus to pursue her interest in photographing marginalized subjects and to develop her own distinctive style
• Under Model's mentorship, Arbus began to explore the streets of New York City, seeking out unusual and overlooked individuals

Developing a unique style

• Abandoned the stylized approach of her fashion photography in favor of a more direct, confrontational style
• Used a square format camera (a Rolleiflex) to create intimate, head-on portraits that emphasized the subject's gaze and facial expressions
• Employed a flash to create a stark, unforgiving light that highlighted the subject's features and vulnerabilities

Focus on marginalized subjects

• Drawn to photographing people on the fringes of society, including those with physical and mental disabilities, circus performers, nudists, and sex workers
• Sought to capture the humanity and complexity of her subjects, often spending hours with them to build trust and rapport
• Challenged societal norms and expectations by presenting marginalized individuals as worthy of artistic representation

Photographs of marginalized communities

People with disabilities

• Photographed individuals with various physical and mental disabilities, such as Down syndrome and dwarfism
• Captured the dignity and individuality of her subjects, rather than focusing solely on their disabilities (e.g., "Teenage girl with Down syndrome, 1970")
• Challenged societal stigmas and stereotypes surrounding disability

Circus performers and "freaks"

• Fascinated by the world of sideshows and circus performers, photographing "freaks" and other unconventional entertainers
• Captured the humanity and vulnerability behind the performers' public personas (e.g., "Mexican dwarf in his hotel room in N.Y.C., 1970")
• Explored the blurred lines between performance, identity, and exploitation

Nudists and naturists

• Photographed nudist camps and naturist communities, capturing the unguarded moments and interactions of the participants
• Challenged societal taboos surrounding nudity and the human body (e.g., "Retired man and his wife at home in a nudist camp one morning, N.J., 1963")
• Explored themes of vulnerability, intimacy, and the natural state of the human form

Sex workers and gender non-conforming individuals

• Photographed sex workers, drag queens, and other gender non-conforming individuals, often in their private spaces
• Captured the complexity and humanity of her subjects, challenging societal judgments and preconceptions (e.g., "Transvestite at a drag ball, N.Y.C., 1970")
• Explored themes of identity, sexuality, and the performance of gender

Urban subcultures and outcasts

• Documented various urban subcultures and marginalized communities, such as bikers, addicts, and the homeless
• Captured the raw, unvarnished reality of life on the fringes of society (e.g., "Woman with a tattoo and a zippered sweater, N.Y.C., 1970")
• Explored themes of alienation, survival, and the human condition in the face of adversity

Arbus's photographic techniques

Use of square format

• Primarily used a Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex camera, which produces square-format images
• The square format allowed for a more direct, confrontational composition, with the subject often centered in the frame
• Created a sense of intimacy and intensity, as the viewer is drawn into the subject's gaze and personal space

Confrontational portraits vs candid shots

• Known for her direct, head-on portraits that confront the viewer with the subject's gaze and vulnerability
• Also captured candid moments and interactions, revealing the unguarded reality of her subjects' lives
• Balanced the staged and the spontaneous to create a complex, multifaceted portrayal of her subjects

Relationship with subjects

• Spent significant time with her subjects, often hours or even days, to build trust and rapport
• Engaged in conversation and listened to their stories, creating a sense of intimacy and understanding
• Treated her subjects with empathy and respect, even as she captured their vulnerabilities and flaws

Capturing psychological intensity

• Sought to capture the inner lives and emotional states of her subjects, rather than just their surface appearances
• Used lighting, composition, and the subject's gaze to create a sense of psychological depth and intensity
• Explored the complex, often contradictory nature of human identity and experience

Critical reception and controversy

"New Documents" exhibition at MoMA

• Arbus's work was featured in the groundbreaking "New Documents" exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1967, alongside Garry Winogrand and Lee Friedlander
• The exhibition marked a shift in documentary photography, emphasizing a more subjective, expressive approach to capturing reality
• Arbus's photographs were praised for their raw, unflinching portrayal of marginalized subjects, but also criticized by some for their perceived voyeurism and exploitation

Debate over exploitation vs empathy

• Arbus's work has been the subject of ongoing debate, with some critics accusing her of exploiting her subjects for shock value or personal gain
• Others argue that Arbus treated her subjects with empathy and respect, seeking to capture their humanity and complexity rather than simply sensationalize their differences
• The debate reflects broader questions about the ethics of documentary photography and the power dynamics between photographer and subject

Influence on documentary photography

• Arbus's work helped to expand the boundaries of documentary photography, pushing it beyond traditional notions of objectivity and social reform
• Her subjective, expressive approach influenced a generation of photographers, who sought to capture the psychological and emotional depth of their subjects
• Arbus's legacy can be seen in the work of contemporary photographers such as Nan Goldin, Mary Ellen Mark, and Rineke Dijkstra

Ethical considerations in portraiture

• Arbus's work raises important questions about the ethics of portraiture, particularly when working with marginalized or vulnerable subjects
• Photographers must navigate issues of consent, representation, and the potential for exploitation or misinterpretation
• Arbus's approach, which involved building relationships with her subjects and treating them with empathy and respect, offers a model for ethical engagement in documentary photography

Arbus's legacy and influence

Impact on photography and art

• Arbus's work had a profound impact on the field of photography, challenging traditional notions of beauty, normalcy, and the role of the photographer
• Her photographs are celebrated for their raw, unflinching portrayal of the human condition, and for their ability to find beauty and meaning in the marginalized and overlooked
• Arbus's influence extends beyond photography, with her work inspiring artists in various media, from painting and sculpture to film and literature

Posthumous publications and exhibitions

• After Arbus's death by suicide in 1971, her work continued to be published and exhibited widely
• Major posthumous publications include the monograph "Diane Arbus: An Aperture Monograph" (1972) and the comprehensive survey "Diane Arbus: Revelations" (2003)
• Retrospective exhibitions of Arbus's work have been held at major museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Comparison to other photographers of outsiders

• Arbus's focus on marginalized subjects places her in a tradition of photographers who have documented outsiders and subcultures, such as Brassaï, Weegee, and Robert Frank
• However, Arbus's approach is distinguished by her empathetic engagement with her subjects and her ability to capture their psychological depth and complexity
• Her work has been compared to that of other influential photographers of outsiders, such as Lisette Model, Gary Winogrand, and Mary Ellen Mark

Continuing relevance and reappraisal of work

• Arbus's photographs remain highly relevant and influential, continuing to inspire new generations of photographers and artists
• In recent years, there has been a reappraisal of Arbus's work, with scholars and critics examining her photographs through the lenses of gender, sexuality, and disability studies
• Arbus's legacy continues to evolve as new perspectives and interpretations emerge, cementing her status as one of the most significant and provocative photographers of the 20th century