March 14, 1923 – July 26, 1971
Diane Arbus was a fascinating photographer, based out of New York City, whose work still generates a ridiculous amount of interest and relevance today. She is known for her eerie portraits featuring the 'others' of society. With her husband, she started out in fashion and advertising photography, which was quite successful, being featured in major fashion publications like Vogue. I think it could have been her involvement in the industry at the time that contributed to her photography finding itself at what can be seen as the complete opposite end of the spectrum. She did gain success as an independent photographer in her lifetime, having her work exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, among other places. Arbus struggled with depression, and sadly committed suicide at the age of 48.
Her work has been described as voyeuristic and disturbing, but I think she was kind of ahead of her time with her exposure of 'oddities'. To me they somehow parallel the reality TV phenomenon, and shows that give you a look into the 'abnormal'. Her fascination with the unusual is essentially what sparked many people's fascination with her. Diane Arbus wrote about how her photographic experiences raised 'awe and shame in one gulp'.
Her photos capture me in every possible way, check out her work...
