Author: Amy Arbus
Publisher: Welcome Books
Year Published: 2006
Rating:
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On April 28, 2007, Amy Arbus did a lecture and book signing at the photography Gallery 339 in Philadelphia. For some lame reason, I did not attend the lecture. I did, however, go there and buy the book with the intent of getting her to sign it.

I’m not much of a starchaser, but this would be a brush with greatness due to her mom’s star power. Diane Arbus (1923 – 1971) was one of the most influential photographers of the 20^th century, concentrating mainly on BW portraits of people on the fringes of “proper” society. Missing the lecture was a grave error on my part, because to my surprise, she is a fascinating conversationalist. I believe I would have enjoyed it immensely. I can console myself with the fact that at least I purchased the book.

• Madonna on the Cover
Reviews are seldom objective, and mine are no exception. Until the KCBS (Kansas City Barbeque Society) takes over this job, you just have to accept my views for what they are. I find photo books of celebrities rather boring. Luckily, Amy Arbus uses only one of her few celeb shots on the cover of the book. Hell, I know I would. It’s an attention getter and a good selling point. The majority of Arbus’ photographs, though, are of everyday people—at least as everyday as the inhabitants of NYC can be.

• Structure
The book is large format coffee table sized (10.5 x 14 inches), consisting of 101 images basically depicting New Yorkers decked out in 80s pop-punk style. Arbus lends a Whistler-like quality to many of the portraits by using vertical 8×12 inch full frame images.

• Content
The pictorial essay captures a decade of NYC fashion, which is not to be confused with any other fashion. True, many American women dressed like Madonna in the 1980s, but few people outside of major cities had the nerve to dress like the Clash. These are portraits of people in their most flamboyant public clothes, projecting their most flamboyant personae.

• How engaging is the book?
The book appeals to me in several ways, but then, I’m a photographer. For one, the photographs are crisp and accurate; they stun, really, as an almost embarassing ‘fashion time capsule.’ While 1980s MTV videos may appear fashion-lame, Arbus’ images make very strong statements about her subjects. These are not candid shots—these subjects want their moments captured on film. The deeper and more interesting thing about Arbus’ portraits is her quest to find something beyond the apparent reality. These images are more about attitude than fashion, at a time when it was riskier to be on the fringe.

• Is it all photos?
Except for an introduction and some excerpts from the original Village Voice publications where these images originally appeared, there is no text to speak of. This is good in a way. Titles and captions define an image in ways the artist may not intend.

• Summary
The photographs, like Arbus herself, are engaging. We chatted a bit at the signing, about “Fur,” the recent movie about her mother (she hadn’t seen it and they hadn’t consulted her) and her dad Allan Arbus, the actor. It was difficult to avoid bringing up her famous photographer mother, Diane Arbus, so instead I told her my brother is a big fan of her dad (the fashion photographer who in his second life played Dr. Sidney Freedman in the TV series M*A*S*H). Amy smiled and said lovingly, “Everyone loves Dad.” When I asked if I could take her picture she said “That’s only fair.”

“On the Street” is a time capsule of abstract expressionistic photography. It’s not a book of celebrity photographs. Do the people appear dated, their costumes passé? Not so much. The power of art is its ability to move us long after the moment has passed. This is the power of Arbus’ photography.

I recommend the book to anyone who appreciates the powerful portraits of photographers Mary Ellen Mark, Diane Arbus, or Annie Liebovitz.