An article on Diane Arbus

Mainecoonmaniac · Dec 6, 2016

Her biography is fascinating and I loved the fictionalized movie about her called "Fur". I think her work allows us to stare at unusual people without feeling guilty. As for me, I like looking at her photos and hopefully peel away the surface to find things in common with myself. Just like looking at one self, we have to accept who we are in order to accept others. We really all are "freaks".

http://nypost.com/2016/07/09/diane-arbus-life-was-stranger-than-her-often-odd-subjects/

falotico · Dec 6, 2016

Arbus shot B/W using a film manufactured in Germany which had a higher silver concentration than other film brands.

Newt_on_Swings · Dec 7, 2016

falotico said:
Arbus shot B/W using a film manufactured in Germany which had a higher silver concentration than other film brands.

Where did you read or hear this from? and what makes this anecdote special?

I am kind of sad that I missed her latest show(in the beginning) at the Met Breuer, I had gone to the Met one day but totally mixed up the fact that it was the the Breuer, but since I was there I got lost in the paintings for a bit and before I knew it, it was closing time. Oh well. I am hoping a follow up show with her later work will be on display soon.

ruilourosa · Dec 7, 2016

Mainecoonmaniac said:
Her biography is fascinating and I loved the fictionalized movie about her called "Fur". I think her work allows us to stare at unusual people without feeling guilty. As for me, I like looking at her photos and hopefully peel away the surface to find things in common with myself. Just like looking at one self, we have to accept who we are in order to accept others. We really all are "freaks".

That is a bit paternalizing to say the least... a bit selfish to find normality and "the common" in you... and a bit of a fascist in regard of the "other"!!! but that how things are these days!!!!

Fur is a mellow and irrealistic view about Diane! i´m not being critic regarding the film though...

Look closely at her work, "Revelations" would be a nice start!

HiHoSilver · Dec 7, 2016

MCM - like the line about all being freaks. 'Seems like the move to see the commonality is not a small thing - more important than any SJW point & shreak about not spouting PC orthodoxy. There's an empathy in finding the commonality that makes for humility - which bears good fruit.

Mainecoonmaniac · Dec 7, 2016

ruilourosa said:
Fur is a mellow and irrealistic view about Diane! i´m not being critic regarding the film though...

Look closely at her work, "Revelations" would be a nice start!

I did say Fur was fictionalized and I love the book Revelations. A lot different that Patricia Bosworth's biography. I'm sure they'll be other biographers that will reveal more about her life. The cool thing about art. We all have an different take on art and artist.

falotico · Dec 8, 2016

From the book "Diane Arbus Revelations", p. 273:

She had tried all the film types available in the United States, and had made it very clear to me that she disliked them relative to the films of the two German manufacturers.... She resorted to pressing friends and acquaintance into buying Agfa IF for her in Germany and bringing it back with them.

The film was described as "ASA 50", "slow, silver-heavy Agla films".

Arbus shot 35mm until 1963, so it is possible she used other brands for the 35mm work. Later she used 120 film, shooting square negatives with a wide-angle Rolleiflex and a twin-lens Mamiyaflex, p. 270.

Harry Stevens · Dec 9, 2016

Well I would loved to have heard her argument on not using Tri-X.

tedr1 · Dec 9, 2016

Perhaps the NY Post article linked to provides the answer, a big flash gun!

mrosenlof · Dec 9, 2016

The books I've read also mention her interest in the Pentax 6x7. I think she bought one of those shortly before her death.

marcmarc · Dec 23, 2016

Looking at her contact sheets it appears she used Adox films for the most part. She also used Beutler developer which makes sense since this developer was made to be used for Adox films from what I can tell. I do not know if todays Adox film is the same as it was back then, but I started shooting it when it was under the Efke brand and later the Adox CHS Art line years ago. These films do have a unique look to them and are very sharp. These days Adox films are almost twice as expensive and Kodak, Ilford, and Fuji films so I no longer shoot Adox. Plus, the quality control when I was shooting Adox was a bit spotty but I cannot say if this issue has been resolved.

An article on Diane Arbus

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