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Diane Arbus — Masked woman in wheelchair, P.A.
Diane Arbus

Masked woman in wheelchair, P.A.

A solitary woman in a wheelchair wears a striking mask that simultaneously conceals and commands attention, creating an unsettling tension between vulnerability and mystery. Arbus captures her subject with unflinching directness, the stark black-and-white tones of the gelatin silver print emphasizing the raw, unmediated intimacy that defined her practice. The image challenges conventional notions of beauty, disability, and identity, inviting the viewer to confront their own discomfort and assumptions.

Medium
Gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk.

🔨 Auction Lot

Photographs

October 1, 2014

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About this work

Diane Arbus, Masked woman in wheelchair, P.A.

A solitary woman in a wheelchair wears a striking mask that simultaneously conceals and commands attention, creating an unsettling tension between vulnerability and mystery. Arbus captures her subject with unflinching directness, the stark black-and-white tones of the gelatin silver print emphasizing the raw, unmediated intimacy that defined her practice. The image challenges conventional notions of beauty, disability, and identity, inviting the viewer to confront their own discomfort and assumptions.

Medium
Gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk.
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

20th Century, Mid-Twentieth Century, Mid Century Modern, Influential Photographer, Documentary Photography, Marginalized Subjects, Black and White Photography, Gelatin Silver Print, Celebrated Photographer, American Artist, Disability Subject Matter, Female Photographer, Portrait Photography, Street Photography, Somber Mood, Black and White, Social Realism

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