This piece, titled “A Jewish Giant at Home with His Parents in The Bronx, N.Y. 1970,” pictures a jewish man with his parents. This is one of the rare examples where the subjects of Arbus’ photo are not staring directly into the camera. The aberration is partly intentional, however, as later explained by Arbus: “You know how every mother has nightmares when she’s pregnant that her baby will be born a monster?… I think I got that in the mother’s face….” The subject of this photo cannot be fully understood unless we are shown the size of his body in comparison to typical-sized people.The parents represent the more standard, typical person, while their son is the abnormality, and the relationship derived from the photo by the viewer can be seen as a portrayal of the general population’s view on “freaks.” The parents don’t look loving and caring towards their son. Rather, the mother seems to be looking at him almost in shock, and the father seems to be paying him no mind at all. Arbus uses these three as representatives of the population’s views on freaks- we either gawk at them or ignore them.
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This next photo also looks at an “outsider” in society, especially considering the historical and political context. It is a very alienating photo, as it clearly establishes the boy’s viewpoints and makes the viewer take a side. Do they agree with him or do they disagree? Some may feel sympathy for his support for the war. It begs the question of this boy’s relationship to the war. Maybe he has a relative fighting in the war. Some will agree with his support for his country, but especially in the late 60s, many anti-war protestors will no doubt feel a heavy antipathy towards this fellow’s views. As by this point in time, opinions were growing against the war, publishing a photo of a war hawk is certainly marginal and unusual.
In “A Young Man in Curlers at Home on West 20th Street, N.Y.C. 1966,” we see a man who is a clear example of homosexuality in the 60s. His plucked eyebrows, long nails, and curled hair are all examples of things that were typically seen and expected on a woman. By photographing these kinds of objects on a man, Arbus is directly challenging the cover-up and subjugation of homosexual individuals in the 1960s. At this time, homosexuality was very much considered a criminal offense and a sin by many. According to Leo Rubifein, “early reactions to the photograph were strong; for example, someone spit on it in 1967 at the Museum of Modern Art.” Arbus’ photographs routinely challenged viewers to step outside their comfort zones, and often, this evoked aggressive reactions from the pacified public, who, frankly, were in shock at the photos.
This photo, “A Naked Man Being a Woman, N.Y.C. 1968,” is one of the most visually striking photos in Arbus’ collection. It is captured in such a way that at first, it is difficult to determine this person’s gender. The shaved body, protruding breast, and concealed genitalia all point to a female figure, but to the eye, there is still something unmistakably male about the subject. This portrait raises questions of sexuality, as this man is photographed much like nude women were painted in classic oil painting. However, his direct stare also implies a fearlessness and a lack of shame regarding his nudity. The drawn-open curtains also make him appear to be a spectacle or something to be glamorized, like he’s stepping onto a grand stage. Arbus’ clear attention to the angle at which she shot this photo heightens its dramatic effect to maximum potential.
