Assignment 3 Artist Photographer Bio

Diane Arbus ( 1923 – 1971 )

Diane Arbus continues to be a controversial figure in the brief history of photography as an art form. She continues to have admirers and critics of her photographs. There are those who believe that she exploited the marginal in society, and depicted the elements of the human psyche that elicited shock and horror to enhance her own artistic career. Then, there are those who believe that she opened a view to the world of individuals that had not been seen and or appreciated. Whichever point of view one takes, her photographs remain controversial and a cornerstone in the development of photography as a 'fine art'. She has opened a door to human conditions that were culturally taboo and has initiated the visual exploration of the human experience that has now become acceptable and appreciated. Like so many individuals that pursue the act of taking photographs as a personal documentation, she has believed that she was taking photographs that no one else would.