DIANE ARBUS (1923-1971) Portrait of James Denham. Silver print, the image measuring 11x10 1/2 inches (27.9x26.7 cm.), the sheet 14x11 inches (35.6x27.9 cm.), with Denham's name on recto, and the "a diane arbus print" with Doon Arbus' signature and the numeric notation in ink, and copyright credit and reproduction limitation stamps on verso. 1970
Provenance: Acquired directly from the Artist; to John Gerbino, circa 1971
This photograph, as well as lots 57, 252, and 253 in this auction, was gifted to John Gerbino by Diane Arbus. Gerbino was, at the time, a young art director, and the two were acquaintances and colleagues from 1964, when Gerbino worked at Harper's Bazaar and Arbus was working as a freelance photographer, until her death in 1971. The two shared a level of respect and admiration, such as that when Arbus was preparing work for her participation in the 1967 exhibition "New Documents" at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, she asked Gerbino to review her contact sheets.
In 1969, as Art Director for Essence magazine, Gerbino hired Arbus to illustrate two stories: "How Radical is Black Youth?" published in November 1970 and "Conversation: Ida Lewis and Rev. Albert B. Cleage, Jr." published just one month later.
Each of the portraits offered here reveal the essential qualities that make Arbus' work unique and noteworthy, including a high level of intimacy with her sitter, an unusual perspective, and a keen eye toward the inner life of her subject. This portrait was commissioned by Gerbino for the article in Essence titled "How Radical is Black Youth?" published in November of 1970 and featuring images of black activists. Gerbino was at Essence from 1969-70.
