Diana Arbus – The Three Female Impersonators. Research Paper

Diana Arbus – The Three Female Impersonators
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Diana Arbus – The Three Female Impersonators
Since its inception, art has been used as a means to express personal sentiments, cultural beliefs, and people’s ways of life. With different transformations and eras, the world has seen artists adopt different styles as they seek to communicate their feelings and ideas with their audience. Artists such as Diane Arbus have been at the forefront in using their work to speak to the world. Arbus used her art to distinguish herself because of her insistence on being herself and using her talent to stand against evils in society. Through her distinctive portraits of the world around her, Arbus made use of the feminist theory to show support for the LGBT community and also protest against other social evils during her time. The feminist theory originates from the belief that society is patriarchal and that all the rules and policies adopted are in support of men. Another belief that originates from the feminist theory is that men are considered superior to women, therefore, there is a tendency to trivialize issues affecting women. Finally, the feminist theory originates from the belief that there is a need for a society that recognizes women as being equal to men. Arbus’s work exemplified the above theory as she tried to show the world through the eyes of a woman. Her work can be said to be life because she frequented seedy hotels, public parks, and other locales to help capture the true essence of life during her time. Her work was indeed a weapon that was fashioned to help fight gender inequality, racial discrimination, and to champion for LGBTQ rights. Therefore, this article seeks to use the feminist theory to showcase Arbus’s excellence as a form of protest for gender inequality; her decision to have the photo in black and white as a protest against racial discrimination; the use of men donning women’s makeup.
Often, people share their dreams and visions with the world. However, and as is always the case, the person with the dream appears more passionate compared to the recipients of the dream. Arbus saw a world that did not glorify evil. She fought for her place in a society that was patriarchal and made sure that she made her audience aware of the world she sought. In the 50s and 60s, the U.S. had a tumultuous period because almost every socially-unaccepted group was fighting for recognition. Through the Civil Rights movement, African Americans were trying to fight for equality with their white counterparts. Women were also trying to free themselves from the shadows of men. They wanted an end to a society that deemed them suitable for household chores only. Members of the LGBTQ community also sought to have people listen to them. This period saw artists pick sides as many started to express their opinion about the situation in the country. However, for someone like Arbus, her dream of a world that did not discriminate or looked down upon other people because of their choices or their race pushed her to champion for rights in a holistic way. Her perfect world was one where women were not considered inferior, all races were accepted, and people could love and get married to whoever they wanted. To help champion for the above, she used the photo of the three female impersonators. In using this photo, she helped to open the world to a future where everyone is accepted, and one where people’s choices are not taken as a representation of who they are.[Dorfman, E., Bosworth, P., Arbus, D., Arbus, D., & Israel, M. (1984). Arbus: A Negative Life?. The Women's Review Of Books, 2(3), 9. https://doi.org/10.2307/4019610]
The LGBTQ community has been at the center of numerous debates as people have tried to understand and exert their will on them and their choices. In the 50s and 60s, life for this community was quite difficult because they were not accepted in mainstream society. People had to hide who they were for fear of being victimized. Arbus is believed to have revolutionized portraiture, and this is mainly because of the subjects and messages she sought to convey as well as her style. She chose her subjects and in the three female impersonators, Arbus used men to convey a strong message that targeted the patriarchal society. By using this image, Dorfman et al. (1984) believe that Arbus was fighting for the recognition of the LGBTQ community. This was also a strong message to the predominantly patriarchal society. Arbus was trying to stand with the LGBTQ community and everyone who chose not to conform to the socially-accepted ways of life. In the image, the three men are comfortable in their looks which can be said to be feminine considering the era. The men are donning women’s makeup which shows their comfort in making the decision to embrace or reinforce their feminine side. In her era, these men would be considered outcasts. However, as Taylor notes, Arbus’s “unflinching portraits of nudists, burlesque entertainers and cross-dressers were demanding the viewer overcome titillation or fear to recognize the courage and pride in these outcasts.” He continues to say that her work made it easier for her to be recognized as a humanist who worked to normalize the idea of having the marginalized in society.[Dorfman, E., Bosworth, P., Arbus, D., Arbus, D., & Israel, M. (1984). Arbus: A Negative Life?. The Women's Review Of Books, 2(3), 9. https://doi.org/10.2307/4019610] [Taylor, K. (2020). “New York Artist Diane Arbus Remains Unsettling, 50 Years Later.” The Globe and Mail. Accessed from /arts/art-and-architecture/article-new-york-artist-diane-arbus-remains-unsettling-50-years-later/]
As already indicated, the feminist theory originates from the belief that men are considered superior to women. So, more often than not, issues affecting or impacting the lives of women tend to be trivialized. Arbus was keen to make sure that women got the recognition they deserved. Even though women were good at what they did, they could not reach the high echelons of power or even in their careers. This taps onto the feminism theory which is founded on the belief that society is favorable to men and considers them superior. In a patriarchal society, women have no say. Their voices together with their cries are ignored and trivialized, and this is often normalized which makes it difficult to stage a fight in such a system. As Bernstein writes, women, even as good as Arbus, were expected to play second fiddle to their male counterparts. Bernstein continues to say that even though the three female impersonators does speak to queerness, it is also an attack on the patriarchal society that considers men superior. In trying to fight for her place and that of other women in society, Arbus was trying to avoid the idea of conformity. Rules in a society where men are kingpins and women are mere pawns are made by men. Conformity is expected and going against the grain is never welcomed. However, Arbus sought to showcase to her audience and the world that women are not inferior and that they too matter.[Bernstein, J. (2007). Unlocking Diane Arbus. Studies In Gender And Sexuality, 8(4), 333-336. https://doi.org/10.1080/15240650701519282]
Additionally, it should be noted that in the 50s and 60s, opportunities for women to have their art published or showcased in art galleries were few. Like every other industry, the art industry was dominated by men. In his article, Wayne alludes to the above noting that information about female artists was lacking. None of them could acknowledge their work or even the chance to showcase it to art enthusiasts. However, as Wayne reports, many women were silently spearheading or running the art industry by using men. These women had to use men to have their art showcased in renowned magazines such as Vogue. Wayne singles out Arbus whose efforts helped to challenge the status quo as she made sure that women’s art was being celebrated. It is no secret that Arbus is a revolutionary of women's excellence. She he...