Community Chat

[Oznell]

Diane Arbus died tragically young on this date, July 26, 1971, but not before she had made an indelible mark on the art of photography.

Born Diane Nemerov, she was always quirky, questing, at odds with her family's comfortable existence as merchants and owners of Russek's, a well-known fur store.  (Interesting fact-- She was married to Alan Arbus, who gave her her first camera, and who, late in his career, was an actor who portrayed the psychiatrist on "M.A.S.H".)

Many people think of the ironic, the bizarrely whimsical, the grotesque, the surreal, when they picture her photographs.  Her most famous ones, like (and I'm paraphrasing the titles, but they're close) "Little Boy with a Hand Grenade",  "Jewish Giant",  and "Identical Twins",  bear this out.

In fact, the "Twins" picture was the inspiration for the deeply menacing and disturbing twin images in Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining".

In explaining her work, she said something like she tried to explore the space "between who someone is, and who they think they are".  I like that.

Like another artist of roughly the same period, poet Sylvia Plath, her life did not end well.  It's all chronicled in "Diane Arbus:  A Biography" by Patricia Bosworth, a book I can recommend.

For more on her work:

https://www.theartstory.org/artist-arbus-diane.htm

[Sweet_Serenity]

@Oznell 

You never disappoint! I never heard of her. Thank you! Sharing her life.

[Oznell]

After I posted, I realized had forgotten to mention her brother was Howard Nemerov, the poet.

It occurred to me that there aren't that many siblings-- outside of the theatrical world, that is-- who have achieved EQUALLY in their respective fields and earned fame.

There are cases where one sibling might "piggyback" somewhat on the other's renown, but it's more rare that both are equally well-known and successful in their own right. 

Diane Arbus is world renowned, one of a handful of photographers who are known by name for their unique output.  Her brother was equally a big deal in his own field, winner of multiple awards, including the National Book Award and the Pulitzer, for his poetic output.

Neat!