A photograph has to be specific
Thanks to the recordings by a Japanese student of Diane there is a recording of her speaking voice.
This was when she provided a photography workshop in 1970. The casset tape recording was later used by her daughter Doon and a friend to make a book about Diane who died in 1971
Diane spoke; "A photograph has to be specific" She said that when she started to photograph she thought that there are a awful lot of people in the world and its gonna be terribly hard to photograph all of them.
Lisette Model (Photographer)
She also said that if she would photograph some generalized human being, everybody else will recognize it. It will be like they use to call it, the common man or something like that.
Diane teacher Lisette Model was the one who told her that the more specific you are, the more general it will be. Diane said that you have to face that and that there are certain niceness you have to get out of.
Lisette Model said about Diane that from the beginning she photographed different from other people and that was a difference that she wanted and by all means and circumstances it was original and unique. She had to explain to Diane that there are great artist in every era who are new and that no one can understand them and that tributes to the medium.
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We are afraid to look at them.
Lisette Model also said that Diane had courage and independence and did not look away when they see this subject matter. Also she said that its the first time (as far as she knew) in history of photography that someone photographed these kind of people who are discriminated and we are afraid to look at them because deep down in our self's we feel we are still cripple somewhere even if it isn't outside.
Diane photographed them humanly and seriously and functioning in their live which was an extraordinary achievement.
Diane would call them aristocrats, people who have past their tests in live.
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| Images were made with Film: expired Fuji film 220 Camera: Mamiya 330C Lens: sekor 80mm Dev: C41 home development Location: Relleu (Spain) |
Source: 1972 Documentaire Diane Arbus from the Masters of Photography
