Sunday, September 5, 2010

THE MAGICAL PHOTOGRAPHY OF DIANE ARBUS



when did you stop loving me...when did i stop loving you?
Marvin Gaye






Fashion Independents: On Marriage
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lester Wiener
DIANE ARBUS


"If Ovid possessed the secret of successful marriage when he wrote '"If thou wouldst marry wisely, marry thy equal,"' then the eight lovely ladies and their distinguished gentlemen on these pages bear contemporary evidence to his ancient prescription. Perfectly balanced with each other, their lives - and their looks - are as vigourously independent as their views on the interesting state of matrimony."






Georgiana and Armando Orsini
DIANE ARBUS






Isabel and Fred Eberstadt
DIANE ARBUS






Jane and John Gruen
DIANE ARBUS


Penetrating Light

"Another crucial element of Arbus' technique was her use of lighting. During the daytime she would usually rely on natural light, which would often produce an ambient effect, placing the photograph at a specific time of day. The portrait of John Gruen and Jane Wilson shot for Harper's Bazaar in 1965 features light so bright that it engulfs the entire room and suggests an afternoon shoot.



The photograph also illustrates Arbus' use of strong, almost overpowering, backlighting. In this photo and in many others (but more noticeable in her commercial work) the incoming light from the background windows blurs the physical boundaries of their frames and produces an ethereal effect that adds a dreamy prominence to the subjects because of the high contrast lighting conditions.


Beginning in the early 60s, when natural lighting wasn't available or sufficient, Arbus would often use flash. Besides illuminating an area, Arbus' use of flash in many instances produced a distorted effect that heightened the surreal feeling of her work."

From The Disctinctions of Diane Arbus by Honeysuckle Sleeper



 




Hope Bryce and Otto Preminger
DIANE ARBUS



Eliette and Herbert Von Karajan





Gilbert and Kitty Miller
DIANE ARBUS





Elizabeth of Yugoslavia and Howard Oxenberg
HARPER'S BAZAAR MAY, 1965 ...
DIVORCED 1966



Fashion Independents: On marriage
Harper's Bazaar May, 1965
Photography: Diane Arbus


arbus admin girl @devodotcom



FROM THE ARCHIVE

devodotcom posts on Diane Arbus



3/22/12 The Simplicity of Thought

3/21/12 Have A Great Day!
1/25/12 The Vertical Journey
12/31/11 Happy New Year
11/24/11 The Young Heiresses
8/14/11 Bill Blass Designs For Little Ones
7/12/11 The Full Circle:Prince Robert de Rohan Courtenay
5/17/11 As You Desire Me
4/25/11 The Full Circle: Max Maxwell Landar
2/14/11 The Couple
1/30/11 She's As Mae West As Ever: Mae West
10/16/10 The Full Circle: William Mack
9/25/10 Mrs. T. Charlton Henry
9/05/10 Fashion Independents On Marriage
8/20/10 The Real Miss Cora Pratt
8/20/10 Miss Cora Pratt
7/29/10 The Full Circle: Jack Dracula
7/27/10 Thank Heaven For Little Girls
7/26/10 Petal Pink For Little Parties
5/24/10 Tokyo Rose

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