The more I read of Susan Sontag, the more negatives I discover. There is no doubt her opinions are forthright and her knowledge of other academics and their quotes gives her work credence. However over time as with all opinionated people an opinion held in younger age may become less relevant or even incorrect as we get older and wiser. With Sontag some her language in this essay is far from respectful to the fringe groups of society and at times makes very uncomfortable reading.
"Who could have better appreciated the truth of freaks than someone like Arbus, who was by profession a fashion photographer - a fabricator of the cosmetic lie that masks the intractable inequalities of birth and class and physical appearance." SS
The essay begins discussing the 18th Century American poet Walt Whitman, who believed inclusiveness was part of the true American life. Introducing early photographers as producing simple and pretty, but without substance. To produce images Americans could associate themselves with or aspire to.
The "Family of Man " exhibition was set up in 1955 by Edward Steichen. Five hundred and three photographs from two hundred and seventy three photographer from sixty eight countries a show of the variations of the human being with all their flaws and positives. The people were of all ages, race and gender but Sontag mentions they were beautiful people with beautiful bodies in an almost sarcastic rhetoric of the whole event.
Sontag then moves to Diane Airbus's work and career as the extreme opposite to the "Family of Man" exhibition. Her work described as,
"Lined up Monsters and borderline cases - most of them ugly, wearing grotesque or unflattering clothes." - SS
Sontag is critical of the way Arbus photographs the unfortunates and afflicted without empathy. Viewing Arbus 's images on first beginning this course I found the images distasteful and difficult to comprehend. I now feel slightly different. Arbus is photographing the "un-included" and giving them acceptance. To obtain acceptance in society, society must go through various emotional stages, ridicule or shock of the subject followed by acceptance normally through guilt and finally empathy. The images of the famine in Ethiopia in the mid 1980's which spurred on "Band Aid" is the perfect example. Images of starving babies dying in their mothers arms and dead bodies in the streets. Before these images were publically thrust upon us, this kind of event was sadly often ridiculed. The lack of any form of body fat treated as a point of insult. Then we felt shame and guilt and then finally acceptance that these people did nothing wrong and were "normal" and required help. The downside of this situation is that as with Arbus's images if taken now by another photographer, would have little effect on us. We have become immune to empathy for anything which has been normalised. Though at the same time more accepted. Sontag does not touch on any such points.
If Sontag was asked to photograph a portrait of "a normal" non "freak" she would not create empathy with the model, she would create honesty. However this view does not seem to count when discussing images of people who by Sontag's personal bias are "freaks ".
Sontag states,
"New York with its drag balls and welfare hotels, was rich with freaks." -SS
When someone with the academic background and articulation of Sontag gives specific labels to social groups, her words are well selected and accurate of her own opinion. The unusual part of my commentary is that Arbus also referred to these non conformers social outcasts as "freaks". Though I believe Arbus use of the terms is possibly to obtain their recognition by the general public or even endearment, Sontag uses the term in a more volatile manner of distain.
What I find particularly hypocritical of Sontag that in 1973, when this was written. Sontag had already married her lecturer at 17 years of age after a 10 day relationship who was 11 years her senior and then confessed to being bi-sexual and then having multiple lesbian relationships, which at his historical point of American history would have been judged negatively by many social and religious groups. Some probably quite harshly. This is not a point of judgement but reality. For Sontag has made social judgement and labelled others by her own prejudice. In other essays she has on many occasions named Gay people as "queers".
Sontag is by no way a fan of the work of Diane Arbus and a great deal of this essay re-enforces this opinion. Though to really emphasise her point of view Sontag informs us that similar to the death of Sylvia Plath who like Arbus sadly also committed suicide: an interest in her work was far greater after her death compared to whilst she was alive. This is a carefully worded criticism, but her language is self protective as in other essays Sontag as had to revoke some of her language as its over tones have been found offensive. Her work did get greater exposure following her death, but they may well be down to other factors such as changing social circumstances and curiosity of the unknown in America?
Arbus is described by Sontag as going on a journey of pain by her own self choosing. Insinuating that by taking such "dark" images of her subjects which may over time have assisted her mental emotional state that resulted in her suicide. However (2) According to her biography, her mother suffered from serious bouts of depression, she was raised by nannies and embarked on a sexual relationship with her brother as a young teen and resurfaced in her later years.
The essay closes with comparisons of Arbus, Warhol and Weegee (of whom ) Arbus named as her closest contemporary.
I find Sontag in this essay to be critical and aloof of Arbus and her work. Though I believe Diane Arbus should receive greater positive recognition for the inclusion of the excluded of society rather than linking it to her life problems. Which personally have a greater depth than just images.
Reference
(1) On Photography Copyright © 1973 by Susan Sontag Published by arrangement with Farrar, Straus & Giroux Cover art and eForeword to the electronic edition copyright © 2005 by RosettaBooks, LLC
(2)Diane Arbus - Portrait of a photographer by Arthur Lublow -accessed 28.5.20
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/books/review/diane-arbus-biography-by-arthur-lubow.html