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How did Diane Arbus photograph people who were often marginalized by society?
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Street photography
Winter, Fifth Avenue, photogravure by Alfred Stieglitz, 1892.
Diane Arbus is renowned for her compelling and often provocative portraits of individuals living on the fringes of society, including nudists, cross-dressers, people with disabilities, and individuals of short stature.12
Her approach to photographing these marginalized subjects was characterized by several distinct techniques:
- Technical Style: Arbus mastered the use of a square-format camera, which placed a heightened emphasis on the subject rather than the surrounding composition. She frequently utilized flash lighting, which imbued her images with a sense of theatricality and surrealism.1
- Direct Engagement: Her work was marked by an evident intimacy with her subjects. By capturing dramatic, straightforward images, she brought figures who were typically ignored or avoided in daily life to the forefront, forcing the viewer to confront them directly.13
- Artistic Perspective: Arbus was recognized as an artist with a distinct point of view rather than a mere recorder of facts. While some critics praised her work as remarkably empathetic, others found her approach to be harsh or voyeuristic.31