Read and reflect upon the chapter on Diane Arbus in Singular Images: Essays on Remarkable Photographs by Sophie Howarth (2005, London: Tate Publishing).
For this research point, we had to read Sophie Howarth’s deconstruction of Diane Arbus’s Brooklyn Family image.
What first struck me was the almost, forensic analysis of the image. Everything is up for debate. From reading the article, Howarth is not really conducting a debate, she is instead confidently stating her truth or the truth, as she sees it.
It is a great example of what we have been studying in part 4, with plenty of connotation, signs and . Delving into the underlying issues of the family without actually knowing them. Deconstructing every detail, down to the looks on the individual faces, to the way they hold themselves in the photograph. Going into the back story of the subjects and photographer in great detail.
I enjoyed the way the author seamlessly transitions artforms, drawing references from photography, literature, pop culture and even music.
Great care is also taken to reference other images, back catalogues and exhibitions to reinforce the opinion that is given. It was good to see the Chinese whisper effect of the editorial given to the images when they were first released in the newspaper in Britain and labelled incorrectly.
This level of deconstruction is something I will have to work on. When you see something critiqued in this fashion, it gives you a great idea of what can be done with the information presented.
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