Paraty in Focus 2011

It's hard not to begin the story of Diane Arbus at the end. Your images are intrinsically linked to it: Diane killed himself at age 48 in 1971. From his unusual life drew a canon of images that have become an extraordinary legacy to the history of photography, a bridge between anthropology and art.

Diane Nemerov was born into a wealthy Jewish family lived and since small differences in their social position. The paternal grandparents were not of the same caste mother. A question of hierarchy, not only Jewish but also socially, in free America early 20th century.

His biography "unauthorized" was written by Patricia Bosworth, a former photographer's model. Her daughters and her husband, also a photographer Allan Arbus, gave no evidence, much less authorized the use of your personal photos. The few known were provided by the brother, the poet Howard Nemerov (1920-1991) and friends.

Algernon Black (1901-1993), his teacher at the Ethical Culture School Fildston, New York, Diane learned that myths are not invented, but inspired. He also learned that they come from the same sources of dreams: "A dream is a personal thing. The myth is the dream of society and is concerned with the mysteries of life. You can not interpret the images precisely. " Paradoxically, this is what she sought in her short existence.

Diane met Allan Arbus at the store his parents, where he worked, and there began a romance that would influence even in his dress: abolish the expensive clothes, not wearing socks, not even shave. Some friends said they also did not wear deodorant and had an odor "peculiar." In 1941, he married a minor has a simple Jewish ceremony. His effort was so much that has come to learn how to cook with friends. Gift of the mother, she won clothes for 5 years and a maid for a year.

Allan Arbus had become a photographer for the U.S. Army in 1940. After his low, pursued a career in advertising and editorial. The Arbus worked for several magazines and Diane entry in the fashion world, as assistant to the husband, would boost his career at the same time that would make it unhappy. The "frivolity" of the environment made her more depressed than ever. It was a dilemma to be working as an assistant and housekeeping.

The partnership with Diane was crucial to the outcome of the photos of Allan. She was much more than an assistant, was a producer, creative director, set designer and stylist. This would lead to the success of the double - to some historians, however, the participation of the couple was not all that relevant.

Even with success in publishing and advertising, Diane abandoned fashion photography - for absolute incompatibility - and began to devote himself to the thought itself. It is after this time she decides to seek the Austrian Lisette Model (1901-1933), to study. The support of the renowned photographer relieve the guilt of his taste for "foreign" that always plagued him.

In classes with Model, she realized that her "dark side", "this attraction for evil," the stranger, were reactions that should be channeled into pictures. She found a mentor in the photographer in the broad sense of the word. A similar origin of the two even closer: Model also came from a wealthy family, and both were ruined.

Marvin Israel (1924-1984), art director and artist, and photographer Richard Avedon (1923-2004) had great influence on photography. Through Israel, Diane was able to do several works of authorship Squire and then to the Bazaar (which at the time represented what was best in editorial. Even today, it is considered one of the best fashion magazines in the world).

Avedon's admirer, the reverse was true. The great photographer also admired her and always said that. Distant not only in their character, Diane cared more about the "freaks" and meant to portray a relationship longer. On the other hand, for Avedon all happened quickly. Asked how he had been to the shoot, saying he could not remember.

Portraying the strangers was a way of surprising people who defied the conventions, as she challenged. Back to childhood, when these "abnormal" were kept at bay. This "protection", which functioned much like repression in his head, would be recurring. Shy, shooting was the opposite. Was expelled from many places, due to his insistence. A great change in his work was when she changed the format of the camera. She said she could not stand the grain of 35mm. At first she moved to a Roleiflex 6X6, and then to a Mamy also 6X6.

Diane Arbus said that the harder the better the image, and so withdrew its clones. I wanted the exclusivity of the square format and a flash attached directly. He had seizures when he saw similar images. The change in format, with images defined, caused a great transformation, conceptual and personal. The reality was more "pulsing".

The separation of Allan was negative. There was the conflict of the responsibilities of raising their daughters (Amy and Doon) and work and, although he felt jealous of the relationship of the ex-husband, collected a number of them. It was common group sex pictures, although she thought the erotic. She said she had no meaning. He was also adept at casual sex, and a multitude of partners, even strangers, according to their statements and their closest friends.

The idiosyncrasies and increased concern about the fate of his work as well. From the New Documents show at MoMA, curated by John Szarkowski (1925-2007) - who was closely linked - the invitations to exhibit, interviews and lectures increased. Even the work. Szarkowski and Marvin Israel were the first to recognize his talent.

Worried about your characters and often interacting with them, could be pervesa Diane and manipulative. He photographed the writer Jacqueline Susan (1918-1974), then the queen of sex stories, bikini, in her husband's lap. Nothing too much for today, but powerful in effect at the end of 60 years. According to the husband of Susan, Diane said the image was just for your portfolio!

With the success at MoMA, came other exhibitions and recognition. Their images, along with Gary Winogrand (1928-1984), Lee Friedlander and even Model (members of the so-called "New York School"), were milestones that changed the definitive documentary photography. His portraits have formed a new canon, transforming ordinary life into art of modern man and to expose the ills of the establishment which, among other things, tries to renege on the abnormality and hide the stranger.

Depressed (since childhood), Diane did not deal with the fame law and rejected invitations from major galleries and museums. His fear was to be known as the photographer of "freaks." It was difficult to deal with the misunderstanding of the extent of his work. Also complained of his work with the mentally handicapped (in the book Untitled), his last work - not finding the axis. In fact, their characters were impossible to be handled. And that bothered her.

Diane was found in his bathroom, with cuts on his wrists. Officially, the cause of death was given as poisoning by barbiturates. Who found was Marvin Israel, one of the few people she supported.

* Article published in the Journal Fotosite March 2005 and updated in February 2010 for the Paraty in Focus.
** Special thanks to my friend, photographer Edward Muylaert and bibliophile who, in 2005, lent me the book of Bosworth, even at the risk of not receiving it back!

Juan Esteves, photographer, has been writing his articles since 1988 in Folha de S. Paulo. It was Iris Photo Magazine columnist and editor and columnist for the Fotosite. It's better photographer magazine columnist and contributor to text and images for magazines such as Mitsubishi, Living Alone, Travel and More Cosac Naify. Now, the blog of Paraty in Focus, Juan put, all Fridays, published or unpublished - the last, with reprint and update made ​​especially for this blog.