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Arbus' True Vision: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Self-Awareness
8 Mar
Summary
- Arbus' work reframed as highlighting strangeness in the ordinary.
- Collection owned by Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner offers new insights.
- Photographs showcase universal self-consciousness and social performance.
Diane Arbus' iconic photography is being re-evaluated, moving beyond the common perception of her as a documenter of 'freaks' and societal outsiders. A collection owned by Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner offers a new perspective, suggesting Arbus illuminated the inherent strangeness within the ordinary aspects of life. Her images reveal the performative nature of social interactions and portraiture, capturing universal self-consciousness.
Photographs like 'Courtship, Teenage Couple, Hudson St, 1963' and 'Two Ladies at the Automat, NYC, 1966' showcase ordinary individuals exhibiting composure and carefully curated appearances. These works defy categorization and highlight the universal experience of being observed. Another piece, 'Four People at a Gallery Opening, NYC', depicts establishment figures, yet Arbus still captures the subtle awkwardness of social performance and the gap between a person's role and their true self.
These images, now part of the collection owned by Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner, underscore Arbus' interest in the internal experiences of her subjects. The collection, titled 'Lily Tomlin & Jane Wagner: Wit, Women & The Art of Collecting', is featured at Bonhams New York from March 31 to April 9, 2026, with a live auction on April 8, 2026.
