Photographer of the Week

Diane Arbus

My Photographer is Diane Arbus.
Arbus grew up and worked in New York City, where she gained most her inspiration from. Her work was comprised of mainly portraits of people on the fringe of society: nudists, giants, dwarfs, cross-dressing men, and circus performers. Unfortunately, she tragically took her own life when she was only forty-eight years old ("Diane Arbus: In the Beginning"). A year after she died in 1972, she became the first photographer ever to represent the United States of America at the Venice Biennale ("Diane Arbus").

Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey, 1967

Arbus's photos stand out because of the subjects she chose. In the 60s and 70s it was unusual for a photographer, especially a woman, to be so bold as to take such provocative photos. She grew up very rich as her family owned a building on fifth avenue, but she didn't want her life of nannies, maids, and professional chefs. She wanted to go out and explore the world like a true artist. After the separation from her husband in 1959 she relished in her independence and got very serious about her work ("The Cost of Diane Arbus's Life on the Edge", 2016). Something that set her apart from other photographers was that she wasn't afraid to put herself into the experience. If her subject was a nudist, Arbus herself would strip down to integrate herself and get a feel for what she was shooting. This is what truly got her mainstream attention: nothing was too extreme for her to get the perfect shot. If she had to put herself in harms way to get a picture, so be it.


"Diane Arbus." Fine Art, Decorative Art, and Design. Artnet, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.

"Diane Arbus: In the Beginning." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, I.e. The Met Museum. The                       Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.

"The Cost of Diane Arbus's Life on the Edge." The Cut. New York Magazine, 2016. Web. 07 Oct.                     2016.