Diane Arbus with Doon (Double Self Portrait) - Diane Arbus 1945
One of my favorite photographers, Diane Arbus, is known for her photography of outsiders and misfits. But I always think back to her early self-portrait (above) of herself as a young mother with her daughter Doon. Knowing how her short life would end in suicide in 1971, it's hard to look at her so vulnerable and, I think, happy.
Child teasing another, N.Y.C. - Diane Arbus 1960, Credit: Fraenkel Gallery
Her early work, like this shot of 2 children on the sidewalk in New York City may lack her later formalism (stark lighting, eye level, straight on photos) but laid the groundwork of her career-long mission to humanize the strange and unlikely subjects or her photography.
From giants to little people, socialites to drag queens - and everyone in between - Arbus' portraits are known for her unflinching gaze. Her work featuring children inspires me because she treats them as she does adults by showing their individual personalities.
Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park - Diane Arbus 1962
The famous shot of a young boy holding a toy hand grenade shows a gawky child grimacing at the camera. But a look at the contact sheet that day includes several emotions - happiness, mischief, boredom - Arbus' caught on the child's face.
Child with Toy Hand Grenade Contact Sheet - Diane Arbus 1962
And while sometimes imagining the inner workings of a child's mind can be unnerving, I think it's brave to give them the same respect as adults in portraiture.
Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey - Diane Arbus 1967
The photo of the twins (inspiring Kubrick's twins in The Shining) shows how by getting down to the child's level Arbus treats the girls as equals to the viewer.
I come away from Arbus's photos wondering about the person's life after the portrait was taken. Diane Arbus succeeded where other art photographers failed by foregoing her own ego and letting the humanity of her subjects dominate. Sadly, she lost her own way.
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