Articles on Arbus

Diane Arbus is one of those photographers that I have had a love/hate relationship with. First I found her work exploitive but now I find it fascinating and unique in her ability to work with subjects on the margins of what most would define as normality.

I always have thought the more complex a relationship, the more rewarding if one continues to engage in it. So for those who have an interest in Arbus one way or the other, there are 2 articles and an interview over on Americansuburb X:

http://www.americansuburbx.com/2009/10/theory-untitled-by-diane-arbus-review.html

http://www.americansuburbx.com/2009/09/theory-visit-with-diane-arbus-on-hot.html

http://www.americansuburbx.com/2009/10/theory-missing-photographs-examination.html

I know Arbus seems to come up in conversation on APUG every few months, but I felt these articles would be of aditional interest.

Thanks for the links Jim. Several years ago the Arbus archives where donated to the Whitney Museum in NYC. I wonder if people can make an appointment to see more of her work then what was released under the strict control of Diane's daughter Doon.

Arbus' nephew is a professor of art history at Yale. If all goes well with my negotiations, he'll be a speaker at the local Photo Arts Collective lecture series next year.

Regards, Art.

Thank you very much for providing those fascinating links. It's interesting to note that the images that were politically dangerous, are still being kept from general view and discussion, allowing the politically conformist ideals of the fifties and early to mid-sixties to be perpetuated.
She was definitely ahead of her time.

There is an interesting and very favourable perspective on Diane Arbus in this book by Janet Malcolm. Altogether a good read.

http://www.amazon.com/Diana-Nikon-Photography-Janet-Malcolm/dp/0893817279