Contemporary photography: Diane Arbus at SVA; Marvin Israel Documentary

“Diane Arbus, Marvin Israel Tonight, Free,” scrolled across the marquee on the SVA theater while I was walking down West 23 Street to attend some openings (I didnt make it to a show of Winnipeg photographers at Julie Saul).

Obviously, I went in.  A line was forming an hour before hand, and rightly so.

Eerily, it was a slide show by Diane Arbus.  Or rather, several of her recorded lectures–complete with audience laughter and applause –were pieced together; coinciding with the click of the slide carousel were her round of stunning photographs, and her chatty but jem-filled discussions.

It started with just a voice (her’s) talking with a dark screen.  Then images torn from newspapers and magazines were shown.  Some where ordinary, like twins covered in jam at a pie eating contest; others were oddly compelling, like the couple photographed on a couch (she mentioned they were just murdered).

The slight self-depreciating exclamations and occasional laughter by Diane (pronounced, “DEE-ann”), peppered the lectures.  What one was left with was a personal and timeless talk by a master artist.

Jeff Rosenheim, photo curator of the Met was there (I chatted with him afterwards for a moment) and gave a brief introduction.