Diana Arbus – The Three Female Impersonators. Research Paper

Diana Arbus – The Three Female Impersonators
Name
Institution
Due Date
Diana Arbus – The Three Female Impersonators
Since its inception, art has been used as a means to express personal sentiments, cultural beliefs, and people’s ways of life. With different transformations and eras, the world has seen artists adopt different styles as they seek to communicate their feelings and ideas with their audience. Artists such as Diane Arbus have been at the forefront in using their work to speak to the world. Arbus used her art to distinguish herself because of her insistence on being herself and using her talent to stand against evils in society. Through her distinctive portraits of the world around her, Arbus made use of the feminist theory to show support for the LGBT community and also protest against other social evils during her time. The feminist theory originates from the belief that society is patriarchal and that all the rules and policies adopted are in support of men. Another belief that originates from the feminist theory is that men are considered superior to women, therefore, there is a tendency to trivialize issues affecting women. Finally, the feminist theory originates from the belief that there is a need for a society that recognizes women as being equal to men. Arbus’s work exemplified the above theory as she tried to show the world through the eyes of a woman. Her work can be said to be life because she frequented seedy hotels, public parks, and other locales to help capture the true essence of life during her time. Her work was indeed a weapon that was fashioned to help fight gender inequality, racial discrimination, and to champion for LGBTQ rights. Therefore, this article seeks to use the feminist theory to showcase Arbus’s excellence as a form of protest for gender inequality; her decision to have the photo in black and white as a protest against racial discrimination; the use of men donning women’s makeup.
Often, people share their dreams and visions with the world. However, and as is always the case, the person with the dream appears more passionate compared to the recipients of the dream. Arbus saw a world that did not glorify evil. She fought for her place in a society that was patriarchal and made sure that she made her audience aware of the world she sought. In the 50s and 60s, the U.S. had a tumultuous period because almost every socially-unaccepted group was fighting for recognition. Through the Civil Rights movement, African Americans were trying to fight for equality with their white counterparts. Women were also trying to free themselves from the shadows of men. They wanted an end to a society that deemed them suitable for household chores only. Members of the LGBTQ community also sought to have people listen to them. This period saw artists pick sides as many started to express their opinion about the situation in the country. However, for someone like Arbus, her dream of a world that did not discriminate or looked down upon other people because of their choices or their race pushed her to champion for rights in a holistic way. Her perfect world was one where women were not considered inferior, all races were accepted, and people could love and get married...