photo mag

131
(MARCH 14, 1923 – JULY 26, 1971)
Diane Arbus was born Diane Nemerov in New York City. She is an American
photographer noted for her photographs of marginalized people such as dwarfs,
giants, transgender people, nudists, circus performers, and others whose normality
was perceived by the general society as ugly or surreal. While growing up, her parents
weren’t involved in her life. She and her siblings were raised by maids and governesses
while her mother suffered from depression and her father was busy with work. Arbus
separated herself from her family and lavish childhood.
At age 18, Diane married her childhood sweetheart who she has dated since 14,
Allan Arbus. She received her first camera from Allan and enrolled in classes with
photographer, Berenice Abbott. Allan was a photographer for the US Army Signal
Corps in WWII. While he was stationed during the early 1940s, Diane documented
her first pregnancy which sparked her interest in photography. After the war in 1946,
they started a commercial photography business called “Diane & Allan Arbus” with
Diane as the art director and Allan as the photographer. She would come up with
the concepts for their shoots and take care fo the models. Diane eventually grew
dissatisfied with this role, a role that even her husband thought was demeaning. In
1956, Arbus quit the commercial photography business. Allan was very supportive of
her, even after she quit commercial photography and began developing an independent
relationship to photography. They separated in 1959 and got divorced in 1969 but still
remained close because of their daughters. Arbus began a relationship with art director
and painter, Marvin Israel until her death. He was married and made it clear to Arbus
that he was never going to leave his wife but pushed Arbus very hard regarding her work.
He was the one who encouraged her to create her first portfolio.