Diane Arbus and the art of looking where no one else is looking

Diane Arbus broke the rules of traditional photography by focusing her lens on the marginal. Discover her history, style and the works that defined her legacy.

Who was Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus (1923-1971) was an American photographer who redefined the way we look at others and ourselves. At a time when the normative dominated art and media, Arbus turned her camera toward what few wanted to see: marginalized people, the eccentric, the different.

From her biography on Wikipedia to the collections of Fundación MAPFRE, her life and work continue to generate debate and admiration. She was a pioneer in capturing the intimacy of the uncomfortable, humanity on the margins.

A style without filters.

Arbus's work is characterized by the use of the medium format camera (Rolleiflex), which allowed her to establish a direct connection with her portraits, almost always from the front, with her gaze fixed on the viewer. His images do not seek to beautify, but to show without embellishment the complexity of the human being..

According to Vanity Fair, his interest in uncomfortable subjects arose from a dissatisfaction with commercial photography, and his time at Lisette Model's workshop consolidated his turn toward the personal, even the painful.

Most iconic works.

Among his most recognized works, the following stand out:

Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey (1967): Two twins with haunting, symmetrical faces. An image that even inspired Kubrick in The Shining.
A Young Man in Curlers at Home on West 20th Street, N.Y.C. (1966): A challenging portrait of gender identity in conservative times.
Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park (1962): A child with an angry expression, contrasting with the childish context.

Its impact and legacy.

Arbus challenged the dominant aesthetic and paved the way for a more raw, psychological and human photography. On platforms such as History Art or Photonists, we study how her approach influenced generations of subsequent photographers.

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