*TRIGGER WARNING*
Dianne Arbus is a photographer that has constantly made an appearance in all my modules this academic year, I wrote about her approach to documentary photography and her empathy and compassion she has for the outcast in society, solidifying her approach that completely changed documentary photography. Her practice is either “overwhelming with a sense of compassion, while others find her images bizarre and disturbing” (Scott Nichols Gallery, 1970-71, artsy).
I have been captivated by Arbus’ last “untitled” works she did before she died in 1971, as I believe a person’s final image demonstrates the mindset of the person and how they want their legacy to be remembered. I also find it fascinating that images or series of images can speak for themselves; the images tended to be of youths or patients from a mental facility. The photos were taken during the Halloween season as we can see, due to the masks and other costume elements. There are 2 images in the series that have intrigued my morbid curiosity, they are of 2 children standing side by side, holding hands and addressing the camera face on. One in a clown’s costume and the other wearing a sinister smile. The image has a youthful darkness to it perhaps reflective of her own mind. The other image is of a young person isolated on her own with the photographer sat in a wheelchair with a witches mask on, there is a sadness to these images .
[image: Dianne Arbus,1971,untitled]
Ironically, not long after taking these images Arbus committed suicide; were the children in the images a reflection of her mental health? She related to the youth due to her own society mental instability leading me to think that her intentions for these photographs are some sort of closure, perhaps I am wrong as I did not personally know Arbus, it was just an innocent observation.
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