portraiture

Application, Context And Tech
In your posts you will need to discuss  the journey that Portraiture has taken over its' history. For example the movement from Rich and Powerful people having expensive portraits made for them to the works of Portraiture photographers depicting the inner conflicts and catching their subjects in moments when they are least prepared. 

Look at work of at least one of the following photographers and discuss:

Diane Arbus (Matthaei family portraits)
Walker Evans
Richard Avedon
Tony Vaccaro
Larry Clark

Diane Arbus 

Diane Arbus had a particular style of photography, she liked to photograph the real image, no fake smiles or laughs, she wanted that original fearful depression look to show people what life was really like.

Diane Arbus got listed as one of the most destinctive photographers of the 20th century. she just became known for her unearthly, bitter portraits.

A quote from the photographer herself; Arbus was always a slightly mysterious character

                            

When photographing the Matthaei family, Diane Arbus didn't go for your typical portrait. She liked to capture the mood rather than producing a portrait with a fake emotion. The image above is of Marcella, looking depressed or angered in some way. 

In 1968, Arbus once wrote to a friend; "all families are creepy in a way". People were amazed at the sort of families Diane was based around, she was focusing on devoted, happy families. yet in the photo's she produced - all of the family members were looking creepy and depressed. It came as a confusion to many people with never got solved as before anyone understood her reason for taking those interesting photo's, she took her own life in 1971.

In the 1960's, America, she took pictures of 'the outsiders'. These people included; freaks, waifs, transvestites, nudists, identical twins and strip teasers. Her reason for capturing people like them in particular was because was trying to document the aspects of society that many people overlook. 

                    

The child in the image above was holding a toy hand grenade. Diane took so many pictures of this young boy that he started to get annoyed or stressed.

In most of the photo's she took, it generally seemed almost like she was masking other people with her own emotions. Diane had quite a troubled life and in the portraits she took, all the people were either looking vaguely depressed or they were listed as freaks.