The Sociological Phenomena of the Female Performance Exploring Femininity in the Photographs of Diane Arbus

Photographer Diane Arbus (1923-1971) is often celebrated for her raw portrayal of marginalized groups within American society. During the 1960s, the pejorative term “freaks” often meant those belonging to an underrepresented and misunderstood social faction. The majority of Diane Arbus’s career and artwork centered around unmasking this subculture, which included circus performers, nudists, female impersonators, and the mentally ill during a revolutionary period in American culture. Nevertheless, the breadth of Arbus’s photography is much more expansive than the provocative American subculture of the time. What is commonly overlooked, is the photographer’s portrayal of another repressed social class within American society—women. The purpose of this study is to focus on the women she photographed and their femininity. Along with circus performers and drag queens, Arbus depicted the metaphoric masks of femininity, beauty, and the social performances of women in her photography. The study will assume a qualitative look into the sociological phenomenon known as the female performance through the lens of Arbus’s photography. Arbus depicts the female performance using opposing spectrums of American culture. First, the study will explore her participation in high-fashion, commercial photography, and analyze the portraits within this framework. Second, the study will explore Arbus’s participation in the counter-culture and art photography and analyze the portraits within this framework. The two opposing cultures represented in these photographs are grounded and interconnected by the universal motifs of social performance, concealment, identity, and masks within femininity. Key findings in the study will provide a wider scope of literature and alleviate common misunderstandings of Arbus the photographer, as well as connect her photography to the themes of humanity and technology.