DIANE ARBUS

American photographer Arbus (1923-1971) was known for her portraits of people on the fringes of society. Her work is very raw, and sometimes quite controversial. She spoke of her work and said, "I really believe there are things which nobody would see unless I photographed them”. Alot of her work was focussed on transvestites, dwarfs, giants and prostitutes- showing an insight to the outcasts of society. Even her work with the working class "ordinary" people was posed and shot in unconventional places to capture an honest yet obscureness about them. She was captivated by all kinds of people.
As Arbus' work began to develop, a distinctive style became apparent. A big feature in most of Arbus' work was for the subject to be starring into the camera. Susan Sontang, who Arbus once photographed said "Arbus' brilliance was to catch everybody unmasked, at the moment of transition between unconscious repose and practiced, social self-representation. People seemed to reveal, in that moment, their essential being, which was alienated and miserable".
At the age of 48, Arbus committed suicide. A year later, MOMA held a retrospective of her work. It was the most popular solo photography exhibition in its history, and the monograph that followed, one of the best-selling art books in history.