Where: Smithsonian American Art Museum
When: closing January 21, 2019*
Although I bring along my trusty smartphone so I can take pictures at exhibits, I forgot to snap one of the Diane Arbus show - oh, the irony! So you'll just have to hope the government re-opens or SAAM extends the run of this display so you can see for yourself.
Diane Arbus created a portfolio of ten photographs, beginning work in 1969. She made eight of them, four of which sold. One of those copies went to Bea Feitler, the art director at Harper's Bazaar. For this particular copy, Arbus added an eleventh photograph. SAAM acquired this copy in 1986, and it is the only copy which is publicly held. It is this copy that is the basis of the show.
During her lifetime, Arbus enjoyed only modest success. After her death, however, she has had a "posthumous career of extraordinary acclaim." Her work began the acceptance of photography as an art form. Her appearance at the Venice Biennale was a huge deal; it's hard to imagine that photography wouldn't be considered art, but it's true.
Her work is interesting; she photographs people who are outside the norm in some way. The photographs can be disturbing; I don't know that I'd want them hanging in my house. They make you think; they grab you and force you to pay attention. "A woman with her baby monkey, N.J. 1971" for example, gives me the creeps.
Verdict: If you're able to see this, it's definitely worth your time. This is where art photography began.
*Due to the government shutdown, the Smithsonian is closed.
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