“Woman in a Bird Mask” by Diane Arbus

As I was searching through the Lehigh Collection on ArtStor, “Woman in a Bird Mask” by Diane Arbus immediately caught my eye. After studying her work briefly in class I knew I wanted to learn more about her career and this image specifically. I was drawn to this image because of Diane Arbus’ style; I found her work to be intriguing and deeply personal. The image is full of juxtapositions. As an outside viewer, I feel connected to the woman in the mask. Rather than having the mask serve to shield the woman from us, it actually draws us in closer. While the image is black and white and feels nostalgic, it also feels decadent and fun because of the beautiful jewels, makeup and luxurious textures on display. Additionally, the image seems reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties but also incredibly modern. The subject is an older woman, and yet she seems to be playfully dressed up and excited.

The image was taken in 1967 and portrays a woman smiling in a costume, with a bird propped on her head and the beak resting close to her nose. The bird’s feathers hang along the subject’s face. The viewer is left uncertain as to whether the subject is attending a party or dressing for the camera. All the information we have is the bare image captured by the artist. This picture was taken later in the artist’s career once she had found her calling photographing unique subjects. Prior, Diane Arbus began her career working alongside her husband Allan Arbus. The two began a commercial career in photography after World War II where Allan was serving as a military photographer. Later, they produced fashion photographs for advertising agencies and top women’s magazines. Allan usually shot the pictures while Diane Arbus acted as an assistant organizing the models, choosing the locations, and dictating hair and make-up. Diane Arbus grew tired of the fakeness and limitations of the fashion industry and left the business (and her marriage) to work independently. Though it was painful, the marital breakup freed her to become a renowned artist.

Independently, Diane Arbus photographed people on the fringes of society, including the mentally ill, transgender people, circus performers, and nudists. Diane Arbus famously established strong personal relationships with many of her subjects and captured her images with varied levels of intimacy. The requited gaze that marks her early photographs would be furthered in the collaborative form of her mature work, done with a medium-format camera. For example, “Woman in a Bird Mask” was taken with a medium format camera. The picture is representative of Diane’s “surreal style of frontal portraiture focused within a square frame, using a flash in daylight to detach her subjects from what would have served as the background” (Lubow). Within this image the woman’s face and the mask seem to merge together making it hard to separate the woman from her decadent accessories. The mask is used as a way of unmasking the woman and Arbus is able to present the woman just as she intends to present herself to the public. Instead of using the mask to hide, Arbus uses the mask to reveal aspects of her subject’s personality and style that would have inevitably remained concealed. It was a common misconception that her explorations of unconventional subjects deepened her depression and contributed to her suicide in 1971. According to the painter and art director Marvin Israel, who was a central figure in her life, “Diane was absolutely delighted by the people that she met. Perhaps the one thing that gave her total enthusiasm and energy was the possibility of finding more of these people.” (Lubow).

Works Cited

Arthur Lebow. “How Diane Arbus Became ‘Arbus.'” The New York Times, 26 May 2016. The New York Times, www.nytimes.com/2016/05/29/arts/design/how-diane-arbus-became-arbus.html. Accessed 21 Oct. 2020.

Diane Arbus, American, 1923 – 1971. A Women in a Bird Mask, New York. 1967. Artstor, library.artstor.org/asset/28121335