Diane Arbus: Untitled

David Zwirner Gallery - New York

By Taliesin Thomas

Diane Arbus (1923 - 1971) was a celebrated, influential photographer who captured the zeitgeist of the postwar America social sphere through numerous black and white visions of humanity that gave equal praise to celebrities and crazies alike. Her raw depictions of ‘outsiders’ and marginalized groups-including transgendered people, strippers, circus performers, dwarves and nudists-are among the most compelling images ever recorded on film. A recent solo show at David Zwirner in New York, “Diane Arbus Untitled,” offered a raw and intimate look at the joyful camaraderie of institutionalized people at facilities. This series of sixty-six black and white photographs-many on view for the first time-captures the isolation and imbalance of individuals in their singular worlds. This show was also the inaugural representation of The Estate of Diane Arbus by David Zwirner and the first complete presentation of her “Untitled” series.

The photos included in this exhibit featured portraits taken outdoors during the final years of Arbus’ life-between 1969 and 1971-on repeated trips to developmental disability residencies in New Jersey. They represent a radical departure from the images upon which her reputation largely stands. Beautifully installed like stanzas in an idiosyncratic narrative, there is a sense that Arbus was well aware of the power these candid images would elicit. While some photos feature solo figures that boldly confront our gaze, most images include various groups (mostly women) engaged in cheerful activities: an afternoon picnic, a Halloween parade, ladies in floppy sun hats, girls in bathing suits ready for a swim, an elderly woman in a wheelchair wearing a Venetian mask. These human moments are tender and touching. Each of these photos is, however, altered by the reality of the subject-although her compositions appear aesthetically flawless, the characters are visibly challenged. While their innocence is foremost, faces appear confused, bodies misshapen, gestures erratic. We are immediately aware of the strangeness of this world, yet Arbus familiarizes the scene so as to welcome us into the delightful disarray. The reality of their ‘disadvantage’ is disclosed by Arbus’ masterful ability to capture the lyrical nature of their possessed environs-she shares the eccentricity without betraying their trust. These individuals look directly into the camera and Arbus contains their genuine confidence and curiosity. The “Untitled” series is emotionally relentless, yet Arbus’ faithfulness to these subjects demands our utmost respect, despite the unforgettable nature of these enigmatic stills that haunt the heart.

Diane Arbus, Untitled (49) 1970-71 © The Estate of Diane Arbus.

Arbus committed suicide in 1971 and no record exists as to the location of her ashes. The following year she was the first photographer to be included in the American Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Arbus left behind thousands of negatives with no identification and some seven thousand five hundred rolls of film (her complete archive is now part of the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art). Although it has been said there was no real market for collecting photography during her lifetime, Arbus is one of the most successful photographers in American art history and her work can be found in the permanent collections of numerous museums around the world. With the affectionate observations of her “Untitled” series, Arbus imparts a hopeful kindness that reverberates across time, filling us with gratitude for the authentic vision she was able to conjure before it disappeared into the timelessness of her frozen frames.

(November 2 - December 15, 2018)

Taliesin Thomas is an artist-philosopher, writer, educator, and aesthetician based in Brooklyn, N.Y., and the founding director of AW Asia (2007-present). She has lectured widely on contemporary Chinese art and has been published in ARTPULSE, Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art (JCCA) and ArtAsiaPacific magazine. She holds an MA from Columbia University and is currently a PhD candidate in art theory and philosophy at the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts.