A Life As Diane Arbus Knew It
After visiting San Francisco’s MOMA museum displaying photographer Diane Arbus’ work, I discuss my feelings and immediate reaction.
“A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.”
-Diane Arbus
If mysterious, raw, intimate art had a name, it would be Diane Arbus. San Francisco’s MOMA museum began an exhibit starring Arbus’ photography, based on the lifestyle of everyday people of New York City, where she was born and raised. Her work was shot between the years of 1956 until 1963. Images were dark, moody, candid, and left me craving more of her and her ideas. Instead of doing the typical glamourous fashion shots, Arbus gave us more. She gave us something no other artist had given us: pure, natural, underground visuals. Diane’s work, according to the MOMA exhibit, was to give us a viewers and fans a look at introspection.
Although Diane Arbus was successful in capturing the world in front of her, there were times when she felt lost, unstable, and doubtful. She eventually penned a letter to her longtime friend, Alex Eliot, about how down and out she felt.
“In a letter to her friend Alex Eliot, Diane castigated herself for being “a terrible coward, childish, hysteric, quitter,” someone who would inevitably “lie down and let everything walk over” her.”
In the exhibit at San Francisco’s MOMA museum, I found that Arbus had themes that lined up depending on the type of photo is was, and the location the photos were taken. It’s amazing to see how her mind worked just by seeing such simplicity.
While visiting the MOMA, I came across a lot of favorite images of Arbus’. Even though the exhibit displayed plenty of her photography, I wanted more. I craved it. Each wall that her photos hung on, had something special about it. For example, there was one particular wall that stood out to me. It displayed images of cross dressers and female impersonators by Arbus, of course based in New York City. One specific image, however, grabbed all of my attention. Miss Storme deLarverie: The Lady Who Appears to be a Gentleman. I still wondered why Arbus chose to include her in her collection. Another wall displayed more glamorous shots: performers in a nightlife setting. Arbus’ theme for this wall seemed more staged, but still had a certain rawness and strong intimacy that is undeniable.
The Estate of Diane Arbus LLC, New York though these themes and images felt in a way exposed, Diane never broke her mysterious demeanor. Her photo titled “Mannequin in an evening gown”, taken in New York City in 1956 is the perfect example of intimate, underground, and totally candid.
As far as her overall work and for her to only capture so many photos in a short period of time, Diane Arbus has become a huge influence on today’s photographers and has left a huge legacy on many young artists.
