Diane Arbus was born in 1932in New York. She learnt her skills as a photographer from her husband. They found massive success within their fashion work however Diane wanted to branch out on her own. She started to create these very distinctive portraits of people who are perceived as ugly or freaks, who were people who were not perceived as normal in society this could be anything from travesties to dwarfs. many people found her work disgusting or as if she was making a mockery of these people when I believe she was trying to educate people and show we are all the same on the inside. A source says "If Arbus undoubtedly felt at home among the outsiders she photographed, she also experienced a frisson of guilty pleasure when photographing them. "There's some thrill in going to a sideshow," she once confessed of her nocturnal visits to the circus tents of Coney Island, where performers were still earning a living in the 1960s. "I felt a mixture of shame and awe." (Sean O'Hagan 2011) this showed Diane did have mixed feelings about her photography as she did feel shame but also felt proud and she looked up to these people this supports the fact she wasn't this horrible person people thought she was and she wasn't trying to embarrass them. She felt comfortable enough to be around them but at the same time did feel shame for them as they were out of the ordinary in society. I find her work extremely powerful and educating and I do feel it is used to embarrass anyone.
Here is a picture Diane Arbus she called this piece the Jewish giant.I think this may be one of her most extreme images.It shows someone who would stand out extremely within society but I also like how it shows his parents who are "normal" in society. I really like the simplicity of the image as it doesn't really experiment with angles or composure however I feel Arbus really just wanted to educate people by getting a message across that people like this do exist and that's okay and they are no different to the rest of us. I really like the vignette she has used around this image it makes you focus more on the person than the background.The second image is of a transvestite Arbus took this again was extremely out of the ordinary. This was very frowned upon within society. I love the graininess within this image as I feel it gives the image a raw quality as Arbus shot in film and her images were always in black and white. The image looks very natural yet really contrast with what candid image is as a candid usually shows elements of beauty within them.But at the same time Arbus may of found beauty within these image and that's what she wanted express. The shadow adds depth the image. Arbus defiantly wanted to use the shock factor to educate people within her work however many people did frown upon it or feel it was a way to embarrass these people who are pictured within society.
Nan Goldin was born in 1953 in America she captures captured a world of sexuality, violence and addiction in her slideshow and book, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1981). Goldin herself left home at the age of 13. She joined a group that were involved in sex drugs and violence she documented this by taking photographs in the late 70's then she then put together to create The Ballad of Sexual Dependency book. This showed images of her friends which included addicts, hustlers, transvestites and prostitutes. A source states "In doing so, she redefined what photography could do and what it could be – a mirror of oneself as well as the world."(Sean O'Hagan 2014) I feel this is stating Goldin went over the boundries of what photography could be and really pushed it in what was acceptable in photography and in society just like Arbus did. Her work may have been perceived as shocking however I wasn't to Goldin as she had lived this, it was her reality.
I really like the colour in these images as she shot in analogue film it gives it a soft effect with colour which really contrast with what the images are about as they are the gritty truth of violence, sex and drugs. The first image is of three transvestites they come across as very pretty and prim and proper in contrast to what their lifestyle would be. I really like the use of rule of thirds within the image as it gives it structure and makes you look at each man individually. The image looks very staged however is candid. Not a lot is going on in the background so this again keeps the attention on the men. The image shows a lot of beauty in the image but in a unique way The second image shows strong feelings of violence this image is shocking and does push the boundaries of what photography should be as it does not show beauty in the way its suppose to be perceived in society. It the extreme and gritty truth of violence within society and shows things you may not seen normally in photography. I really like how this image is framed as it fill the frame and as the woman is in the centre it and how her hair fills the frame this makes the image work better as this is the only thing you focus on. The darkness of the image adds to the effect. Only basic colours are used within this image it is very simplistic just like Arbus.
Both these woman have made a massive impact on photography by pushing the boundaries to the limit on what photography should be by focusing on the ugly instead of the beauty society is usually associated with it. I feel the images are unforgettable as they are so raw and focuses on subjects that back then were taboo subjects. Both used this method to educated however some people had mixed opinions on their work as some did find it offensive I find both of their work really interesting and extremely unique. They have influenced many people to not be afraid of the hard truth or don't be to afraid to push the boundaries and photograph it as photography should be open and not structure we all have to stick to.
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