Ainda Diane Arbus: nudist essay

A escritora A. M. Homes (de quem já "falei" aqui, aqui e aqui) escreveu um artigo interessante sobre as fotografias da Diane Arbus na colónia de nudistas. Não esquecer que isto foi nos anos 60, as fotos da Arbus têm sido muito imitadas e na maior parte das vezes, mal.

"1963'

We were young—though at the time we thought we were getting old—maybe we didn't know we were going to live so long. (...) they were excited about being naturalists, that's what they called themselves. But you have to remember at that time everyone wasn't running around exposing themselves like they do now. A lot of women still wore hats and gloves if they were going out.

What was it like when Diane Arbus arrived?'

'She wasn't so famous then. She was a fashion person, that much I knew, and I thought it was funny that a fashion photographer was coming to take pictures of naked people. So I dressed up. I gave myself a manicure and a pedicure.

That woman, Arbus, had an ability—what do you call it? Uncanny—to take photographs of things you think are hidden or want to keep hidden. Forget that we thought we were naked. I was never really naked until that picture—do you see what I mean? She took pictures of the thoughts, feelings, things you might not even know existed inside yourself. It wasn't that she made you look one way or another, she made you look exactly like yourself. Horribly yourself, whoever you were. Is that beauty? If you can accept it, I think it might be.'"

Podem ler o artigo na sua totalidade aqui.