Diane Arbus: Family Albums

by Anthony W. Lee, John Pultz

Diane Arbus (1923-1971) is renowned for her provocative and unsettling portraits of modern Americans. This book presents a significant body of previously unpublished pictures by Arbus and proposes a radically new way to understand her goals, strategies, and overall work. Diane Family Albums examines unknown contact sheets from several of Arbus's portrait sessions, including more than three hundred photographs she took of a New York family one weekend in 1969. Anthony W. Lee and John Pultz put to the test Arbus's claim that she was developing a "family album." They present other images Arbus shot for Esquire magazine (including pictures of the families of Ricky Nelson, Jayne Mansfield, and Ogden Reid) and discuss her interest in photographic groupings of both traditional and alternative families. Challenging common interpretations of Arbus, the authors reveal a photographer far more savvy with the camera, more aware of photography as an artistic and commercial practice, and more sensitive to the social and cultural tensions of the 1960s than has been acknowledged before.

Genres: Art, Photography, Visual Art, Nonfiction

168 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2003

Reviews

[Hal Brodsky · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was actually published to accompany a show of posthumously displayed works, but it was all I could find locally.
The best photos in the book were taken by other photographers and apparently included in the show.

I have an Arbus biography I plan to read, but for a better sample of her work and comentary, check out
https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2...

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not just Arbus & what is Arbus is not her best. Still compelling though.

[Tippy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of lesser known photos from Diane Arbus. Didn't actually read it- just checked out the photos. Worth peaking at if you like her work.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

ONE: Though the two essays in the beginning of this were sort-of daunting (no big words or intense thematic ideas, but they were lengthier than I had expected, plus I'm no big fan of art-criticism), I am 100% an Arbus fan so I actually ended up enjoying and agreeing with them.

TWO: Arbus's technique, something exceedingly hard to find any information about, is explored interestingly here and I like the pictures coupled with this exploration, but the plates from her sessions with the Matthei family of New York I found boring and not worthwhile. I would greatly prefer to leaf through the Aperture Monograph any day, but okay, the essays were solid.

THREE: This """review""" is appalling but dude I consider it my obligation to document everythin' I'm readin'.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of pictures is not my favorite but I agree with the essays. I think Diane viewed everyone as being weird and similar. In these photos, even the "normal" families look weird. She had a way of making her subjects look vulnerable. The photos speak to you. Each pair of eyes has seen sadness.