In the end I decided not to go. That’s right. After a lot of thinking about it, I finally decided not to go to New York and see the giant Diane Arbus show Diane Arbus: Constellation at the Park Avenue Amory.

It turns out the 450 plus print retrospective of well-known and previously unpublished images has become a polarizing event to some, mainly due to manner in which the many prints are displayed.  Here’s a link from the Park Avenue Army that discusses the show and includes a short video

https://www.armoryonpark.org/programs_events/detail/constellation?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22593218138&gbraid=0AAAAAo1ABwXj-e4C9ZtAHxSS3I-CFB4p0&gclid=CjwKCAjw7rbEBhB5EiwA1V49nQ_vkk5W4VMzYLCVOWWIadlgQKfhnWCvMP7KXW10e_iqPKtj1WQhKxoCyTkQAvD_BwE

Just in case you can no longer access the link, here’s a quote:

“These dynamic pictures are given an evocative new life at the Armory in an immersive installation that brings together all of the photographs (some still unpublished) from the set of more than 450 prints by Neil Selkirk, a photographer and student of hers and the only person authorized to make prints from her negatives. This unconventional constellation of images allows viewers to find their own path to discover what lies between the pictures, what connects them to each other, and the imperceptible architecture underlying all creations: chance, chaos, and exploration. Marking the largest and most complete showing of her works in New York to date, this unprecedented collection of Arbus’s works provides a diverse and singularly compelling portrait of humanity.”

It’s the part about the  “unconventional constellation of images [that] allows viewers to find their own path to discover what lies between the pictures, what connects them to each other, and the imperceptible architecture underlying all creations” that turned me off. For me it came down to how I want to view photographs. Several years ago I went to New York to see a beautiful and tastefully hung retrospective of Arbus’ work at the David Zwirner Gallery. I wrote an entry about the show entitled Cataclysm – The 1972 Diane Arbus Retrospective Revisited.

In the case of the current show it looked like I was going to have to bend down near to the floor in order to study some of the photographs mounted on the black lattice displays while navigating my vision in order to focus on other photographs at various heights, all the while trying not to get distracted by yet other photographs entering my field of view.

While it appeared from various reviews and videos I found on the web, that some of the pictures are mounted on walls, the vast majority of the pictures seem to be affixed to those lattices.

Strange. At least to me.

So, here we have an exhibit that appears to be as much about the presentation as it is about the work itself.  And I think the work most likely suffers as a result. I’ll take a pass.

On the other hand you might like it. In that case, the show runs through August 17^th.

Stay well,

Michael