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Comments:
This is one of the most famous books in photographic
history with over 450,000 copies in print. For years, it was the only book of her
work available to the public. Monograph was conceived as
a tribute by her daughter Doon and friend
Marvin Israel. Full of iconic images and engaging
quotes, this book showcased an aspect of Arbus'
achievement. However, since Diane Arbus had no say
in the picture selection and its presentation, the
book doesn't hint at the complete range of her work.
The work is exclusively from the 1960s and 1970s.
This was intentional as the book focuses on her
mature style.
Out-of-print.
Check out used bookstores and eBay.com
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current edition
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1995 edition
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1984 edition |
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Comments: Originally published in 1984, this unauthorized
biography had been both savaged and hailed by various
critics. Some claimed it to be sloppily written
and sensationalistic, others found it compelling
and insightful. It's a combination of both. It does
excel in placing Diane Arbus' life and art in the
context of her times. It also provides in-depth
information about her family background. Ms. Bosworth
includes interviews with Arbus' mother, brother and
sister along with one of her mentors, Lisette Model.
Illustrated with photographs of Arbus and her family.
The 1995 edition is a reprint of the 1984 version
with different cover art. The 2005 edition features
a new afterword by the author and slightly altered
cover art. The Diane Arbus inspired fantasy film "Fur" (2006) is
loosely based on this book starring Nicole
Kidman and Robert Downey Jr.
1984
and 1995 Editions: Out-of-print. Check used bookstores
and eBay.com
2006 Edition: (with a short new afterword by the author)
Click here for publishers and ordering information
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current edition
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1984 edition
(designed by Marvin Israel) |
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Comments: This book shows a portion of Arbus'
professional photography (but none of her work with
Allan Arbus). It shows how she fine-tuned and adapted
her mature style to commercial editorial and portrait
work for publications such as Harper's Bazaar,
Esquire, the Sunday
Times Magazine
(London) and many others. Some of her work found here she
used for her art projects. The book also features
an informative and insightful essay by Thomas W.
Southall as well as article texts written by Arbus herself. Reprinted with a
different cover design in later editions.
Click here for publishers and ordering information
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Comments: This exhibition catalog for the traveling
show of the same name is a strange one. Inspired by the discovery of prints
and contact sheets of a hitherto unknown privately
commissioned portrait commission Arbus undertook
in December 1969, the curators used this material
along with additional photographs and contact sheets
of her work from the Esquire magazine archives
and Arbus' own comments about wanting to do a book
called "Family Album". The show explored
the connotations of the term "family" and how Arbus may have applied it: a genetically
related human family, a unique group a people and/or
cultures, etc. Unfortunately, when this book went
to press, one of the family members in the portrait
shoot in '69 insisted that her photos be not used.
At the same time, the Estate of Diane Arbus withheld
permission to allow the publication of the Esquire
contact sheets. These factors make a hash of the
catalog's concept and exhibits. Its two essays are
weakened by the absence of the barred photographs.
The catalog was also printed on cheap paper and
makes for inferior photograph reproductions. The
original gallery exhibition was more cohesive and better
executed for this, the most speculative of all Arbus
projects.
Click here for publishers and ordering information
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Comments: This 352 page tome is the catalog for
the Diane Arbus Revelations photography
exhibit that is touring the U.S. and Europe from
2003 to 2006. Revelations doesn't have
the contextual sweep of the Patricia Bosworth's
Diane Arbus: A Biography.
Revelations doesn't provide much information about her family
background and the radically diverse
eras in
which Arbus lived. It does have, however, an incredible amount
of pictures, illustrations, mementos and excerpts
from Arbus' writings. It is a shame that a number
of her photographs are
placed over two pages instead of one page. These spreads distort the images by running them into
the page gutter. Despite its short comings, Revelations does succeed in rescuing Diane Arbus from being
the tragic artist caricature that Bosworth's biography
veered towards—and, instead, portrays her
as an engaging, intelligent person and loving mother. The truth probably lies somewhere in between these different depictions of Arbus.
Hardcover:
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Softcover: Click here for publishers and ordering information
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Comments: A photographed and annotated reproduction
of the contents of Arbus' large and varied book
collection. It gives some insight into Arbus' literary
interests. Unfortunately, it looks
like it was photographed with a digital camera because
the resolution isn't totally sharp and is slightly
pixilated.
Click here for publishers and ordering information
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other media
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- video -
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Comments: This is 30 minute DVD featuring Doon Arbus, Marvin Israel, Lisette Model and a Mariclare Costello (Alan Arbus' 2nd wife and a close friend of Diane's) voiceover reading words from Diane Arbus is available from the International Center of Photography. Mariclare, who is an actress, seems to be imitating Diane's distinctive manner of speaking.
Click here for ordering information
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- audio -
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Comments: This approximately seven minute long audio
segment is a exploration of Arbus' artistic approach
to photography using her iconic Identical Twins,
Roselle, N.J. 1967 photograph as the case study.
In addition to audio interviews with Estate printer
Neil Selkirk, New York Metropolitan Museum of Art's
Associate Curator of Photography Jeff Rosenheim, and
biographer Patricia Bosworth, the segment also includes
excerpts from an extremely rare recorded
interview with Arbus conducted by Studs Terkel in
1969.
Click here to hear the segment at the National Public Radio web site
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