History Creator / DianeArbus

Her husband was Allan Arbus, best known as Dr. Sidney Freedman on ''Series/{{MASH}}'', who was also a portrait photographer at the time. Her life story was turned into the fictional biopic ''Film/FurAnImaginaryPortraitOfDianeArbus'' (2006) (for those interested: the film has hardly anything to do with her life).

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: Her first name is actually pronounced "dee-ANN".

Her husband was Allan Arbus, best known as Dr. Sidney Freedman on ''Series/{{MASH}}''. Her life story was turned into the fictional biopic ''Film/FurAnImaginaryPortraitOfDianeArbus'' (2006) (for those interested: the film has hardly anything to do with her life).

Arbus' work has always remained controversial. Some people were scared of her work; others, like Creator/SusanSontag, felt she exploited other people's handicaps and eccentricities for sensationalist ends. Yet, before she took even one snapshot, Arbus always went through great lengths to talk and get to know the people she portrayed and felt that she showed people and [[TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow things that would never be seen in public otherwise]]. Her work played with the [[NothingIsScarier fear of the unknown]] and confronted spectators with the fact that their first reaction is usually fear or mockery of the portrayed people. On the other hand, she was increasingly aware that she was being pigeonholed as nothing more than "a photographer of freaks". Her depression finally took over and in 1971. she died of suicide.

* GrotesqueGallery: Her work comes across as this at times.

[[caption-width-right:250:Diane Arbus.]]

Diane Arbus (March 14, 1923 – July 26, 1971) was a famous American female photographer, best known for her uncompromising black-and-white photographs of eccentrics, the handicapped, sideshow performers or otherwise normal people who just happened to be shot in a particular disturbing or even creepy way. Arbus started her career as a fashion photographer, but gradually devoted her attention to people outside the margins of mainstream society.

Arbus' work has always remained controversial. Some people were scared of her work, others, like Creator/SusanSontag, felt she exploited other people's handicaps and eccentricities for sensationalist ends. Yet, before she took even one snapshot, Arbus always went through great lenghts to talk and get to know the people she portrayed and felt that she showed people and [[TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow things that would never be seen in public otherwise]]. Her work played with the [[NothingIsScarier fear of the unknown]] and confronted spectactors with the fact that their first reaction is usually fear or mockery of the portrayed people. On the other hand she was increasingly aware that she was being pigeonholed as nothing more than "a photographer of freaks". Her depressions finally took over and in 1971 she committed suicide.

Her husband was Allan Arbus, best known as Dr. Freedman in Series/{{MASH}}. Her life story was turned into the fictional biopic Film/FurAnImaginaryPortraitOfDianeArbus (2006) (for those interested: the film has hardly anything to do with her life.)
Diane ultimately took her own life after a series of manic depressive episodes.

* CreepyChild: She has made several pictures of babies, children and youngsters that have something haunting or other-wordly about them.

* ShoutOut: The twin girls in Creator/StanleyKubrick 's version of Film/TheShining appear to be reminiscent of Arbus' iconic photograph of two female twins of the same age.

* TheTreacheryOfImages and WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief: Some of her photographs are concerned with the superficiality of certain people and things. People try to be someone of something they aren't and look fake or unreal while they're trying. "Blonde girl with shiny lipstick", for instance, shows a woman in full make-up who looks less attractive and more like a lifeless Barbie doll. Arbus also photographed certain locations in this mindset: a haunted house, a Disneyland castle by night, a fake forest background, an overly decorated Christmas tree, ... all come across as a SpecialEffectsFailure.
** In a way, Arbus' own work also falls into this trope. The images of the people she portrayed don't always correspond with how they normally behaved in real life. For instance, "Child with Toy Hand Grenade" shows a little boy making a scary face. He appears grotesque, even frightening, but earlier photographs, which Arbus didn't use, depict him as just a normal boy clowning around. The only reason he looks scary is because he was so fed up with posing for so long that he got angry and told her: "Just take the damn picture already!"

** The couple in "Teenage Couple on Hudson Street, N.Y.C., 1963" wears long coats and have world wise expressions that make them appear much older than they physically are.

* CreepyTwins: Arbus' most iconic photograph shows two twin girls staring at the camera. One of them has a slight smile, the other a slight frown. Their parents felt it was the "worst likeness of the twins they had ever seen."

Diane Arbus (1923-1971) was a famous American female photographer, best known for her uncompromising black-and-white photographs of eccentrics, the handicapped, sideshow performers or otherwise normal people who just happened to be shot in a particular disturbing or even creepy way. Arbus started her career as a fashion photographer, but gradually devoted her attention to people outside the margins of mainstream society.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Mary Ellen Mark, whose work is clearly influenced by Arbus and also features a lot of odd and disturbing looking people.

* HeyItsThatGuy!: Arbus took a famous photo of a sleeping baby whose face creepily looks like a death mask. The child turned out alright, though: it's none other than current American news reporter Anderson Cooper.

* OlderThanTheyLook: The couple in "Teenage Couple on Hudson Street, N.Y.C., 1963" wears long coats and have world wise expressions that make them appear much older than they physically are.
** In one picture a man and his boy son are shown. Yet the boy is wearing adult clothing, causing him to look way older than his father.

* WartsAndAll: People aren't portrayed at their most flattering in her work.

* NightmareFuel: These photographs are definitely not for everyone. Some spectators still feel repulsed about them to this day.

* AndIMustScream: Certain people couldn't always handle her photographs. The "Men in Curlers" photograph in particular had spectators spit on it when it was first exhibited.

* ItsPronouncedTropay: Her first name is actually pronounced "dee-ANN".

* NightmareFuel: These photographs are definitely not for everybody. Some spectators still feel repulsed about them to this day.

* ItIsPronouncedTropay: Her first name is actually pronounced "dee-ANN".

* ItsPronouncedTropay: Her first name is actually pronounced "dee-ANN".

* ComeAndGawk: Her work dwells on this human aspect.

Her husband was Allan Arbus, best known as Dr. Freedman in Series/{{MASH}}. Her life story was turned into the fictional biopic Film/FurAnImaginaryPortraitOfDianeArbus (2006).

* CircusOfFear: Arbus visited carnivals and sideshows to photograph some of the weird people who entertained audiences by showing off their handicaps.

** "Jewish Giant at home with his parents" shows Eddie Carmel, who suffered from gigantism, rising up from his sofa while his parents stand next to him. The expression of fear in his mother's eyes as she stares at this gigantic man is unforgettable.

* HidingTheHandicap: Subverted. Arbus devoted much attention to physically and mentally handicapped people in her work.
* LittlePeopleAreSurreal: Little people are also prominent in her work.

* TheTreacheryOfImages and WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief: Some of her photographs are concerned with the superficiality of certain people and things. People try to be someone of something they aren't and look fake or unreal while they're trying. "Blonde girl with shiny lipstick", for instance, shows a woman in full make-up who looks less attractive and more like a lifeless Barbie doll. Arbus also photographed certain locations in this mindset: a haunted house, a Disneyland castle by night, a fake forest background, an overly decorated Christmas tree, ...all come across as a SpecialEffectsFailure.
** In a way, Arbus' own work also falls into this trope. The images of the people she portrayed don't always correspond with how the people really behaved in real life. For instance, "Child with Toy Hand Grenade" shows a little boy making a scary face. He appears grotesque, even frightening, but earlier photographs, which Arbus didn't use, depict him as just a normal boy clowning around. The only reason he looks scary is because he was so fed up with posing for so long that he got angry and told her: "Just take the damn picture already!"

Arbus' work has always remained controversial. Some people were scared of her work, other felt she exploited other people's handicaps and eccentricities for sensationalist ends. Yet, before she took even one snapshot, Arbus always went through great lenghts to talk and get to know the people she portrayed and felt that she showed people and [[TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow things that would never be seen in public otherwise]]. Her work played with the [[NothingIsScarier fear of the unknown]] and confronted spectactors with the fact that their first reaction is usually fear or mockery of the portrayed people. On the other hand she was increasingly aware that she was being pigeonholed as nothing more than "a photographer of freaks". Her depressions finally took over and in 1971 she committed suicide.

* CreepyTwins: Arbus' most iconic photograph shows two twin girls staring at the camera. One of them has a slight smile, the other a slight frown. Their parents felt it was the "worst picture of their children they ever saw in their life."

* NightmareFuel: These photographs are definitely not for everybody. Some spectators still feel repulsed about them to this day. You could devote an entire page to her individual photographs and point out everything that's creepy about them.

* HeyItsThatFace: Arbus took a famous photo of a sleeping baby whose face creepily looks like a death mask. The child turned out alright, though: it's none other than current American news reporter Anderson Cooper.

* NightmareFuel: These photographs are definitely not for everybody. Some spectators still feel repulsed about them to this day. You could devote an entire page to her individual photographs and point out everything that's creepy about them.