Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus is one of the most celebrated American photographers of the twentieth century, renowned for her black and white portraits of people on the fringes of society. Her work is often regarded as controversial because of the provocative nature of the subject matter; some believe it to be uncomfortable and disturbing, whilst others consider it to be endearing and compassionate. Arbus would often spend hours with her subjects, photographing them in the confines of their own space, which is what gives her portraits a striking honesty and intimacy. Arbus once said that, ‘I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them.’ Her photographs of children and eccentrics, couples and circus performers, female impersonators and Fifth Avenue pedestrians are amongst the most intimate and surprising images of the 1960s.

Her work features in numerous international collections around the world including the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.