Diane Arbus is known for her controversial photography during the 1960’s that is reputed for changing what people considered socially acceptable. Her work captured the fringes of society, opening new doors for photographers who followed her. She was enthralled with the abnormal and studying and observing “freaks” was her passion. She desired to satisfy her curiosity that budded as a child when her upper class family forbade her to associate with the people who were different and odd.
Her marriage to Allen Arbus, a war photographer, spiked her interest in photography and she credits him as her first teacher. They began a partnership, as photographer and stylist that allowed them to exploit fashion through their passion for photography. They were in perfect collaboration; their love and partnership so deep that people ridiculed them, saying that one would not be able to work without the other. Arbus, however, was not satisfied by this line of work and, after some inspiration from Lisette Model, she discovered her true calling, photographing the people society looked down upon.
Her fascination with hookers, dwarfs, giants, gypsies, transvestites, nudists and the mentally ill, and her ability to photograph were un-ignorable. The public, although hesitant to grab hold of this blunt portrayal of a previously overlooked population, could not disregard how captivating her art was. She gained popularity quickly for her unmatched talent but it wasn’t until near the end of her life that people began to appreciate the meaning of her art and the subjects exposed by it. Arbus truly extended the limits of what was previously considered acceptable and crossed the line no one had been daring enough to cross before. One’s understanding of Arbus’ intentions behind her photography may never be complete, but her story gives insight into what she was attempting to capture and, perhaps, the void she was trying to fill.
Prompts:
1. Do you think that it is socially acceptable to exhibit and portray some of societies oddities in the way Arbus did? Or was her work, in your opinion, inappropriate, perverse and unethical?
2. Is it possible for any given photographer to photograph the people and places Arbus did or does it take a specific mindset/personality?
3. Arbus wrote photographic essays on many of the subjects she photographed for magazines. Use one of her photographs to inspire a story about the subject's life and write an article that could be featured with that photograph in Harper’s Bazaar or Esquire.
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Prompt 2:
ReplyDeleteTo me it seems as if Arbus took great in pleasure providing the public with an ample supply of shocking imagery. While this may have provided shock value in her time, from my modern perspective her photographs seem dull and I am numb to their effect. When I gaze upon them I don’t think that I have the same eerie feeling shooting across my body that I’m sure a peer of mine from the 60’s would have had. I am a part of the generation that spawned the internet phenomenon “Two Girls One Cup”, so it takes a lot more than a Diane Arbus photograph to shock me (Sorry Professor Lee, This pop culture reference you don’t want to know about). I can see how back in the 1960’s Diane Arubus was doing something revolutionary and different for her time, but now her work feels dated and has lost its disturbing quality.
I do think that it took a different sort of mindset or personality to become so dedicated and involved in her work like she was. Diane definitely had a fascination with the perverse and it shows in her work. I think that Arbus’ subject matter speaks to her personality and how she viewed the so called “freaks” of the world to be equals with the rest of society. From what I have learned it seems that her dedication and love for her subjects was a big part of her artistic success.
Prompt 3:
Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park
Dear Diary,
I don’t like being a pair of overalls anymore. Why won’t this kid button me correctly? It’s bad enough that he doesn’t keep me clean or wear underwear. Now he won’t even put me on the right way. Can you say disrespect? I think the problem is that I am depressed. Lately I just haven’t felt like the same fresh pair of overalls that came of the Nordstrom rack at the beginning of the summer. Maybe I need to go home, back to where I was born, back to China. I sure do miss my parents. Today there was a lady taking our photograph, it took forever! Finally Johnny, that’s the guy that wears me, said “Take the picture already” and left. That was the most exciting part of my day. The rest of the afternoon was spent “Fighting Charlie in ‘Nam.” Can you guess what we did the day before that? That’s right, fought even more communists in Vietnam.
You know it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be being a pair of overalls. When we got home all I could hear was Johnny telling his Mother about how this horrible lady made him stand still for five whole minutes while she took a picture of him. Then there was dinner, lasagna. I bet that more lasagna ended up on me than in Johnny’s mouth, what a pig. He also decided that my pockets were a better place to store his lima beans than in his stomach. So now I have that rotting smell keeping me up at night. Tonight when we were getting ready for bed I thought that maybe I would be folded up and put back in the drawer. As it turns out I was wrong. I’m back on the floor at the foot of Johnny’s bed, in the same place I was last night. Thank God I have you diary, you are the only one that really understands me.
Sincerely
Xiao Peng
Prompt 1
ReplyDeleteSociety often deems giving extra attention to individuals that either look or act differently as unacceptable; however, Diane Arbus did not follow this traditional mindset. I believe that photographs of society’s oddities would be considered inappropriate, perverse, and unethical if the photographer took the images in a disrespectful way, made the subjects look or feel less human, and/or portrayed them in a negative light. From the photographs I saw by Diane Arbus, she not only respected her subjects but seemed to admire them. I feel that it is not humane to take photographs of unusual individuals if the purpose is to make fun of them or put them on display as unnatural. If the photographer is using his or her photographs as a teaching tool to show others that these people have feelings and emotions just like everybody else then I feel it is not only acceptable but a good idea to display those images. Another issue to keep in mind is consent. Even if the photographer has pure and noble intentions, he or she should still obtain consent from the subjects saying that it is okay to have their picture taken and that it can be displayed in an art gallery. I am unaware if Arbus received consent from her subjects but I do know that the photographs she created are meant to inform and help rather than to hurt and lower her subjects’ self esteem.
Prompt 2
I feel that anyone could potentially photograph the people and places Arbus did because the act of simply taking a photograph is not hard. Despite this, it was Arbus’ unique personality and artistic viewpoints that made her photographs stand out and become famous. I believe it would take a specific mindset/personality to convey an equivalent message as to those in Arbus’ photographs. Not all photographers would have the dedication or drive that Arbus possessed especially considering during her time period her subjects would be considered taboo. A specific example of that is when Arbus took photographs of people in a nudist colony and was required to be nude as well. Anyone could take photographs of a nudist colony but I imagine that after they hear the requirements, many would give up on the idea. This same principle can be said for many of the other photographs Arbus took, anyone could take these photographs but few would be willing to sacrifice for those images the way Arbus did. Not only was Arbus’ hard work an important factor in her art but her images are creative and it would take a special type of person to portray society’s oddities like Arbus. Arbus showed her subjects respect and portrayed them in a positive light. I feel like that would take a certain type of personality to do this because the norm of society is to fear changes or differences that one does not understand. Arbus was a unique individual not because of her subjects, although they were unusual especially for the time period, but because of her artistic creativity and viewpoints that she fused into her photographs.
Prompt 1:
ReplyDeleteDiane Arbus was a very talented person and she photographed the people that did not fit the status quo. It seems that she brought a lot of people into the limelight. Clearly, Arbus was on the forefront with her photographic style. Was this a benefit to the subjects of the portraits? I definitely think it was. The people that she photographed ordinarily felt judged and unwanted by society. Arbus seems to have been a very welcoming person because she was able to get her subjects to let her photograph them. While Arbus was creating her works society was not accepting her as a talent. With that said, someone has to try new things and create new styles. Arbus did this very well. It was not socially acceptable to present people so blatantly and open during Arbus’ time. However, she did change people’s minds as they continuously saw her amazing works. In today’s society and in my mind it is acceptable to display society’s oddities as Arbus did. Her pictures were raw and real. The subjects were just being natural which brings a sense of beauty to the photographs. I think that society would prefer to overlook the ugly, misunderstood and the abnormal. Arbus pointed out the splendor that accompanied the differences amongst people. Arbus’ photographs have a richness and personality to them that the typical picture cannot offer. I’ll be the first to admit that I did not like all of the pictures. I think some people are so closed minded that they have a need to see the realities her photographs offer.
What it really boils down to is the media, their opinion, and their hold over society. For years the media has dictated what society sees and how they react to it. This is probably another reason that Arbus’ work was not well received for most of her life. As we often see today, media seeks out perfection. Celebrities and models are on every magazine cover. While everyone consciously knows that perfection is unattainable, they unconsciously seek it. Society’s media as a whole tries to overlook the imperfections that lurk among us. Obviously this was not Arbus’ style. She brought forth the mentally ill, transvestites, nudists and dwarves for all of society to see.
Prompt 2:
Was Diane Arbus a one of a kind artist and photographer, or could anyone have fulfilled her role? It seems that some people could have attained a few photographs with similar quality. However, I think that she had to have a specific personality. For starters, her subjects were used to being made fun of and wouldn’t have felt compelled to let any random person to photograph them. She must have had a very comforting, open-minded, and accepting personality. It would seem as if Arbus sought out naturalness and truth in her photographs. She was not looking for a specifically posed portrait. I think that was a benefit in her mindset that most people do not have. Most artists would probably look for perfection, or widely accepted beauty. Arbus showed true beauty and, in time, was praised for it.
Esquire
ReplyDeleteThe Power of Ink
Image: Diane Arbus, Tattooed Man at a Carnival, 1970.
~
Dusk fell quickly over the carnival. Garbage tumbled over the path, pursued by a gentle breeze across the field in which the carnival sprawled. The last of the customers trailed out as the entertainment was closed down. A sudden gust caused a tent’s walls to billow across their path. Swerving away, the last man in the group bumped into the adjacent tent’s pole. The entire bright canvas shook, barely remaining upright. Dark clouds were rolling in from the north and the wind was picking up. The man hurried to catch up with his fellows, never glancing back.
If he had, he would have seen what I did: a pair of brilliant, golden eyes peering after him out of a fierce face covered with swirling, dark ink.
The wind hissed ominously, its many voices clamoring as storm clouds threatened in the distance.
A shiver passed through my body as I prepared myself to talk to this unusual man. The artwork sprawling across his body fascinated me. I wanted to write about him and his past. An interview and picture would be ideal. I boldly stepped forward, voicing my request. It was met with a hard stare and then a subtle jerk of his head. I followed him obediently.
Ducking his head back inside the tent, the golden eyed man returned to his costume rack. He was one of the attractions at this carnival. People couldn’t help staring at him. Why? The answer didn’t even require thought. People stared because he was so incredibly unusual. Not many people could claim that they had ever seen anyone like him. Designs and patterns were inked in all over his body. I was dying to know what they meant and why he had gotten them. Finally, he turned around and asked me, in a surprisingly gravelly voice, to begin. I eagerly started to phrase my first question.
He had gotten his first tattoo at the age of 15 as the result of feeling rebellious. He had been looking for things that would annoy his parents and injecting ink into himself had sounded like a wonderful idea. One tattoo had been followed by another, until most of his chest, arms and head were covered. Each time a new one was added to his collection, his sense of rebellion had increased.
My pen scratched to a halt. He had stopped talking and was staring at me with those piercing golden eyes. I felt as though I was being measured, but why? A decision formed behind his eyes. What had he been debating? What decision had he reached? After another second of silence, his spoke again.
“Do you want to understand me? Do you want to see what I really am?”
My first reaction was to say yes, but my instincts held me back. He was being very mysterious all of a sudden. After a brief pause, I made my decision.
“Yes,” I said uncertainly.
“Follow me…” He said over his shoulder.
I followed.
We walked briskly across the carnival grounds to an area where nobody had pitched a tent. The thunder cracked directly above me promising rain to come. Glancing down again, I froze. He stood before me with shoulders and head thrown back. The snake tattoo that curled around his back and over his shoulders drew my eyes. It seemed pitch black and malignant. I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
An odd, echoing voice cut over the approaching thunder, “You wanted to know what I am? Behold.”
A scream escaped my lips. The massive coils of the tattooed snake had begun the writhe…