Rebel Red Photography: DIANE ARBUS

As part of my photography course I had to research and write about a photographer that interested me. I chose Diane Arbus because I was mesmerised by an image 'Loser at a Diaper Derby, 1967' that I saw at a fabulous exhibition I attended at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in early September called '
Out of the Dark Room: The David Kronn Collection.'
The more I read about Diane Arbus, the more I was intrigued by her. She has become infamous as a photographer of 'freaks' and those on the fringes of society and even when she photographed so called 'normal' people they were made to seem 'abnormal'. Her startling images have sparked both controversy and praise, however, she received very little commercial success in her lifetime and it was only after she took her own life at the age of 48 in 1971 that she received international recognition.

Whether the photographs of Diane Arbus enchant you or repulse you for their unadorned glory one thing for sure is that her images will continue to be surrounded by controversy and she will remain one of the most iconic female photographers of her time.