Print perfection

There are only three weeks left to see Diane Arbus: Photographs 1956 – 1971 (closing November 8). The first of its kind in Canada, this major exhibition highlights 15 years of the legendary American photographer’s evolution. Diane Arbus is known for revolutionizing portraiture with her unique approach and selection of subjects, but the technical details behind her photography and printmaking are just as interesting. Sophie Hackett, the AGO's Curator of Photography, (and curator of the exhibition),  recently spoke to Neil Selkirk, whose insight on this topic is unmatched. 

When Arbus died by suicide in 1971, Selkirk, a British photographer, was asked to create new prints of her work for the landmark retrospective at New York's Museum of Modern Art and the iconic monograph published by Aperture. This daunting task consisted of combing through 7,000 rolls of film, spending many months in Arbus’s darkroom meticulously trying to duplicate her gelatin silver prints. His intimate relationship with the work has afforded him special insight into Arbus’s technical process and artistic vision. 

In their Zoom conversation (below), Selkirk shares fascinating details with Hackett, further illuminating the incomparable work of Diane Arbus.

Don’t miss Diane Arbus: Photographs 1956 – 1971 , on view until November 8 on Level 2 in the Sam & Ayala Zacks Pavilion.

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