Diane Arbus – New York

Diane Arbus is one of the most important 20th century photographers. Whether you find her images difficult to digest, or painfully out of sync with present-day mores, her photographs of outcasts and misfits remain powerful, and once seen, never unseen. Even her images of ordinary individuals feel slightly discomfiting, too revealing. Ensnared by Arbus’s camera, we are all uniquely strange beings, though often quite beautiful in our individuality.

If you want to see Arbus’s work – virtually all of it – go see Constellation at the Park Avenue Armory. It is a spectacular installation. Unfortunately, for me, the installation competes too much with the images, which in many cases, are difficult to see because they are hung too low or too high, or inadequately lit. The back wall of the already vast exhibition is a floor-to-ceiling mirror that appears to double the space. I started to walk into the reflection but stopped short when I came face-to-face with myself surrounded by Arbus’s images floating in space. The funhouse effect suggests a connection, perhaps, to the many carnival and circus subjects that Arbus photographed.

The intro text lays out the rationale for the non-hierarchical gridded structure of the exhibition, and a side text explains how Neil Selkirk, who made the prints after Arbus’s death by suicide, attempted to reproduce her original intentions. The quality of the prints is extraordinarily uneven, and in many cases murky and blocked up. Moodiness is sometimes just muddiness. I do not believe that photographers’ prints are sacred, although originals will always have a primary importance. Photographers can bring great skill to the darkroom – or computer – but sometimes, the task is best left to others. A more illuminating retrospective of Diane Arbus’s work might include newly made prints by someone unconnected to her. I don’t expect that to happen.

If you’re thinking of going, keep in mind that the entrance fee is $25. Despite my reservations about the installation, it is well worth seeing and thinking about.