Diane Arbus - photographer • Non-Gaming • Photography • Eurogamer.net

Deleted user 14 April 2006 22:33:17

Has anyone heard of Diane Arbus - I haven't but then I'm pretty bad at actully observing and appreciating the photography of 'professionals'...

Anyway, Im looking for a particular image which is apparently in her 'Revelations' exhibition - of a couple in bed. The girl is sitting up and the boy is asleep. I simply can't find a repro of it on the web so I suspect it's one that can only be seen in books or in the exhibition itself. If anyone can find it online I'd be grateful...

Anyway, back to the games...

SmoothMartin 14 Apr 2006 23:44:35 886 posts
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I remember a feature on her a couple of months back in the Saturday Guardian. She did some very striking portraits some years ago. There was a very good one of Germaine Greer taken before she was well known called "feminist in hotel room" or somthing, very interesting. You might be able to look it up on the Guardian unlimited site.

Edited by SmoothMartin at 00:27:13 15-04-2006

Deleted user 15 April 2006 08:50:48

I think I saw that photo at an exibition a few years ago, she has some fantastic portraits. Probably most known for the creepy twin sisters, which Kubrick inspired from in The Shining. Can't help you with a name/photo though mate...

CerealKey 15 Apr 2006 09:02:33 2,860 posts
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I saw a short piece on the culture show, Greer didn't have a single good thing to say about her.

Deleted user 15 April 2006 11:15:09

Personally having looked through a lot of shots myself I don't find many of her shots all that appealing. Nothing wrong with them, but not really interesting to me.

I'm going to Barcelona tomorrow though and her show is over there right now so maybe I'll have a looooook.

Deleted user 15 April 2006 12:04:49

I studied some of her work while in college so I'll see what I can find in my notes. Can you describe the picture you're looking for a little better.

Deleted user 15 April 2006 13:44:48

Not really I'm afraid. I've never seen it, so I'm going on the vague description of a friend of mine, who is the person that's actually looking for it...

Deleted user 18 April 2006 18:01:08

Just had a look through google to try and find it... I think I remember the one you talk about ... but it's definitiely not in the 30 pages of google images returned when you search for Diane Arbus.

I studied her at uni too, found the work fascinating. Her work is hugely significant because of it's approach to social documentary and portraiture. She was really a precursor (and many years ahead of) to Martin Parr et al, who made a name out of the "warts and all" style that she helped create.

It's not particularly aesthetically pleasing work, but in the flesh and even in a well printed book, it's much better than the representations on the web would indicate. I still love that fficial%26sa%3DN" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">sword swallower image... thanks for reminding me of her

Edited by BraveArse at 18:01:57 18-04-2006

Edited by BraveArse at 18:03:39 18-04-2006

Deleted user 18 April 2006 18:03:03

@BraveArse: LOLing here. Beautiful handle man, beautiful!
/Wipes tear from eye :'D

Deleted user 18 April 2006 18:42:41

ta... always nice to be appreciated

wizbob 19 Apr 2006 12:11:10 938 posts
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Didn't she set up a camera to capture her own suicide? She was well ahead of the internet goth scene there...

gamesb*tch 19 Apr 2006 12:21:39 645 posts
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She's my favourite photographer - she really popularised a portrait style that was common amongst newsprint photographers (warts n all - as someone said already) and took it across the boundary from 'photography' to 'art what you wouldn't mind hangin on your wall' in the heated and culturallly rich 50s/60s 'is photography art' debate.

I think she learned her husband's style and skill (acquired from his military photography training and sequential reportage style) and used her own experience as a stylist to capture the worst and best in people, often both at once

She's a classic artist to study when learning b&w portraiture and makes some very accomplished technical photography techniques look dead simple - of course, that is the trick - to make what people think of as a genius single snapshot - and what you don't see is the hundreds of contact sheets, as eny fule know.

deem 19 Apr 2006 12:26:07 31,667 posts
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Post deleted

gamesb*tch 19 Apr 2006 12:31:33 645 posts
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I'm a freelance busine$$ development consultant.

But my sister used to work on the Observer and now works for the National Gallery. I've learned stuff by osmosis.

Don't look to Arbus for philosophy though... some of her pronouncments on the nature of life/art are truly cringe-worthy.

Deleted user 19 April 2006 23:47:24

Just discovered there's a film about to be released about her life, starring Nicole Kidman and Robert Downey Jr. ... not sure how well the cast list fits the subject matter, but still, could be interesting.

It's called fur. Might be worth a look.

Edited by BraveArse at 23:47:29 19-04-2006