Diane Arbus Photography
American, 1923-1971
Diane Arbus might’ve been born into New York City’s high society, which was protected from the horrors of the Great Depression, but she preferred to live life on the fringe of it. There she met the subjects of her now-iconic portrait photography — “eccentrics” such as circus performers, people with developmental disabilities and addicts.
Arbus didn’t start out photographing these people, however. She and her husband, Allan, whom she wed when she was just 18, developed a shared interest in photography after he served as a photographer during World War II. When he returned, the couple shot fashion spreads for Arbus’s family’s department store, eventually having their work published in glossy magazines.
Having studied under photographers Berenice Abbott, Alexey Brodovitch and Lisette Model, Arbus then pursued her interest in documentary work in the 1950s, taking to the streets of New York to photograph strangers. By 1962, she was shooting from the waist with a medium-format camera. She didn’t want the camera to block her connection to her subjects, which were now the people marginalized by society rather than fashion models. “For me the subject of the picture is always more important than the picture. And more complicated,” Arbus explained.
Before her death by suicide in 1971, when she was just 48 years old, Arbus had achieved acclaim for her works such as Child With Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C. (1962) and Identical Twins, Roselle, N.J. (1967). She was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1963 and 1966 and had her work shown in the monumental 1967 group exhibition “New Documents” at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Posthumously, her fame only broadened. MoMA put on a solo show for the artist in 1972, and, in the same year, Aperture published her first monograph.
Today, Arbus’s photographs are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, among many other institutions.
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Artist: Diane Arbus
Groom Kissing His Bride
By Diane Arbus
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Diane Arbus (1923-1971) is one of the most influential and daring photographers of the 20th century.
Arbus is best known for her unique form of documentary portraiture. She explored the uncanny, the marginalized, and the idiosyncratic characters who defied mid-century conformity. Her work has influenced some of the most renowned photographers of our time including Nan Goldin.
While her career launched in the fashion world, it was years after quitting commercial photography (circa 1956) that she found her voice as an artist. With camera in hand, she followed her fascination with the eccentric individuals and oddities of New York City. Ultimately rejecting her affluent, sheltered upbringing and the mainstream fashion industry to create her own definitions of beauty.
Arbus’ portraits were considered incredibly provocative for their bold representations of sexuality, chaos, and grit. She fully immersed herself within the queer and alternative communities she documented, engaged with a curious balance of mystery and homage.
Shot in 1966, "Groom Kissing His Bride" is a prime example of her uncanny ability to capture even the most traditional moments (a wedding) through a lens of surrealism.
Love and tension confront each other as the groom kisses the bride with an attacking passion. Her likeness disappears behind his embrace and their newlywed bodies merge together. This work also contains Arbus’ visual trademarks – a black and white palette, a square crop, and a hard flash that flattens the aesthetic wonderland of New York.
Today, Arbus' work is celebrated in many major museum collections including the Art Gallery of Ontario, Art Institute of Chicago, National Museum of Modern Art (Tokyo), and Centre Pompidou (Paris).
"Groom Kissing his Bride, NYC"
USA, 1966
Gelatin-silver print
Printed by Neil Selkirk
Stamped 'A Diane Arbus photograph...
Category
1960s American Modern Diane Arbus Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Tattooed Man at a Carnival
By Diane Arbus
Located in New York, NY
Diane Arbus, Tattooed Man at a Carnival
1970
Estate stamped and signed by Doon Arbus for the Estate of Diane Arbus, verso; Also titled, dated, and numbered, verso
Gelatin silver pr...
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1970s Contemporary Diane Arbus Photography
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Girl in a Shiny Dress, NYC
By Diane Arbus
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Diane Arbus
Girl in a Shiny Dress, NYC, 1967
Gelatin silver print
Image Dimensions: 14.5 x 14.5 inches (36.8 x 36.8 cm)
Paper Dimensions: 20 x 16 inches ...
Category
1960s Contemporary Diane Arbus Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Untitled (17), black and white photographic portrait by Diane Arbus
By Diane Arbus
Located in New York, NY
Untitled (17), black and white photographic portrait by Diane Arbus
Untitled (17)
1970-71/1990
Estate stamped and signed by Doon Arbus for the Estate of Diane Arbus, verso; Also ti...
Category
1970s Contemporary Diane Arbus Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Camp Lakecrest campers as trees, Dutchess County, NY
By Diane Arbus
Located in New York, NY
Camp Lakecrest campers as trees, Dutchess County, NY
1968
Estate stamped and signed by Doon Arbus for the Estate of Diane Arbus, verso
Gelatin silver...
Category
1960s Contemporary Diane Arbus Photography
Materials
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Puerto Rican woman with a beauty mark
By Diane Arbus
Located in New York, NY
Estate stamped and signed by Doon Arbus for the Estate of Diane Arbus, verso
Gelatin silver print (Edition of 75)
20 x 16 inches, sheet
14.875 x 14.375 inches, image
Contact galle...
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1960s Contemporary Diane Arbus Photography
Materials
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A young man and his girlfriend with hot dogs in the park, N.Y.C. 1971
By Diane Arbus
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print (Edition of 75)
Estate stamped and signed by Doon Arbus for the Estate of Diane Arbus, verso
Also titled, dated, and numbered in black ink, verso
20 x 16 inche...
Category
1970s Other Art Style Diane Arbus Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
New York City, Widow in Her Bedroom, 55th St, Iconic Photography by Diane Arbus
By Diane Arbus
Located in New york, NY
A Widow in Her Bedroom, 55th St, NYC, 1963 by Diane Arbus is a vintage gelatin silver print, printed by the photographer. The subject, a widow, is dressed in a shiny dress...
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1960s Contemporary Diane Arbus Photography
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Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin
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Diane Arbus photography for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Diane Arbus photography available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Diane Arbus in silver gelatin print, film, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Diane Arbus photography, so small editions measuring 11 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Steven Klein, Chris von Wangenheim, and Christophe von Hohenberg. Diane Arbus photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $18,500 and tops out at $55,000, while the average work can sell for $36,750.