Thursday, February 2, 2012

Project 23 - Blazing Biographies!

Diane Arbus


  • Born in New York City in 1923 & married at the age of 18.
  • Committed suicide in 1971 aged 48.
  • Photographer - well known for black and white square photographs.
    • photographed freaks, nudists, transvestites, dwarf etc.
  • First American photographer to have their photographs displayed at Venice Biennale.
  • Owned a fashion photography business for more than a decade with her husband.
  • A fictional version of her life story was made into a movie called Fur, starring Nicole Kidman as Arbus.
  • Arbus experienced 'depressive episodes' which lead to her taking her own life.
"Nothing is ever the same as they said it was. It's what I've never seen before that I recognise."
"Giving a camera to Arbus is like putting a live grenade in the hands of a child." 





Main points I would focus on & Ideas:
  • Photographed freaks a lot 
    • what she was mostly known for
    • Digital manipulate photographs of people & create collage 
  • Most famous works: 
    • Child With Hand Grenade
    • Identical Twins
    • Remake the contrast of child and grenade photo
      • Create an illustration to portray the contrast
  • Photographed herself and her growing pregnancy
    • first semi-serious entry into photography
    • record in photos the development of something - collage

I decided to take influence from Arbus style of black and white squares, however I have chosen to use polaroids taken with people I have met in my life.