In New York City on March 14th, 1923, Diane Arbus, then named Diane Nemerov, was born. Today we celebrate the birth of one of the greatest American photographers that ever lived, we reflect upon her work, and we mediate upon her suicide. It isn’t often that one of our kind makes such a lasting impression upon this world and when such greatness is achieved, it forces us to take a step back to reflect.

Contrary to what many would expect (or even have you believe) Arbus’ early life was not filled with mystery, drama, or unnecessary hardship. The talent cultivated deep within her mind was one of pure, organic origins, with Arbus seeming to take instantly to the mechanism and philosophy of the camera. As in most careers, there were a few false starts, a few blips on the radar, but the end results were, and still are, remarkable.

Her photographs have circulated the world many times over and are some of the most expensive photographs ever sold in history. Her legacy also stands the test of time. The relationships she cultivated with her photographic subjects and her constantly changing compositions made for a portfolio of works well-known the world over.

On July 26, 1971, Arbus took her own life at the hands of barbiturates and a razor blade while living at the Westbeth Artists Community in New York City. We have no explanation for this, with only the fragments of her own journaling describing her depressive moods as evidence. What takes a life and turns it into tragedy but untimely death? In Arbus’ case, perhaps what makes her own end so much more devastating is that she knew life so well. Capturing it with her camera and showing the world sides to Life that it had never before seen. Arbus knew what life was all about, she seemed to know it’s secrets so well that it is almost odd that she would not be immune to death.

Arbus’ immortality lies in her legacy, her work, her family, what she left behind. Her photographs echo this secret wisdom of hers and teach us still, speaking through the deep, dark eyes of her subjects, brazenly staring out at the viewer through the frame, confronting us with our own ignorance, and willing us to be ever full of curiosity and life.

“I do feel I have some slight corner on something about the quality of things. I mean it’s very subtle and a little embarrassing to me, but I really believe there are things which nobody would see unless I photographed them.”
-Diane Arbus
1923 – 1971