Background information

"As a visual feast of America's most interesting characters, the volume 'Outsiders. American Photography and Film 1950s-1980s' tours the United States from the late 1950s to the early 1980s through the lens of artists like Diane ARBUS, Garry WINOGRAND and D.A. Pennebaker. In a time of intense political and cultural upheaval, these legendary photographers and filmmakers turned their attention to individuals and communities on the margins of mainstream society.
In highlighting their subjects' differences and celebrating their chosen families, these artists countered the cultural homogeneity of the period following World War II. Cross-dressers, musicians, performers, biker gangs, and protests set the stage for a broader range of human experience, creating the distinctly individualistic American culture enjoyed today.

Content

In the volume 'Outsiders: American Photography and Film 1950s-1980s', the portfolios and works by Diane ARBUS, Garry WINOGRAND, Nan GOLDIN, Danny LYON, Kenneth Anger (1927-2023), D.A. Pennebaker (1925-2019), and Shirley Clarke (1919-1997) highlight these expressive members of the vanguard. Warm and colorful photographs from the Casa Susanna Collection (1950s-1960s) bring into focus the pleasure a group of cross-dressers feel in living together intimately, with the bravery to defy the status quo and set the stage for a more inclusive culture.

Additional information about authors and contributors

Sophie Hackett is the associate curator, photography; Jim Shedden is the manager of publishing; and Stephanie Smith is chief curator at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Katherine A. Bussard is the Peter C. Bunnell Curator of Photography at Princeton University Art Museum. Martha Kirszenbaum is the director and curator of Fahrenheit, Los Angeles. Tess Takahashi is an independent writer specializing in media arts." (© Rizzoli, 2016)