Diane Arbus: Magazine Work
by Thomas Southall
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Book Summary Information
Author: Thomas SouthallPhotographer: Diane Arbus
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-06-15
ISBN: 0893812331
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: Aperture
Book Reviews of Diane Arbus: Magazine Work
Book Review: An excellent introduction to Diane Arbus
Summary: 4 Stars
This reasonably priced paperback collects much of Arbus' more accessible photos. These are photographs she took as commissions for such magazines as "Esquire" and "Harper's Bazaar," and most of them date from the early to mid-1960s. Arbus specialized in taking photos of the eccentric and the offbeat, and many of the subjects of the photos reproduced here were truly bizarre characters such as a man who claims to be the sole heir of the Byzantine Empire and a female Bishop who believes that the end is very near. Arbus also photographed the famous (we see Mae West, Jayne Mansfield, Roddy McDowell, Norman Mailer, Tiny Tim, etc), but did her best work photographing the offbeat and wacky rather than the glamourous.
In a sense, Arbus photographed the uncool side of the Sixties. She wasn't afraid to record the tackier side of the decade, or reveal how working-class people really lived during the psychedelic days. Even though the hairstyles and clothing are now terribly dated, Arbus' gritty vision still rings true, and in her portraits we see the combination of absurdity and tragedy that characterizes many of our lives.
As these are photos that were published in mainstream magazines, there's little of the trademark surreal darkness that characterizes Arbus' best work. I don't think many people would find the photos here to be disturbing in the way that her later work (which focused on circus sideshow performers, freaks, and the mentally retarded) touches uncomfortable chords inside the viewer. So, while the reader will probably get the sense that Arbus is "holding back" somewhat, the very accessibility of the imagery presented here will lure many into a deeper examination of Arbus' work. If you've never seen Arbus' photography and would like to know what the fuss is all about, this is a great place to start.
As a side note, I recently saw many of the photos reproduced here in person at an exhibition in New York. The reproductions in this book are excellent.
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