''Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey, 1967'' is a noted photograph by photographer
Diane Arbus
Diane Arbus (; née Nemerov; March 14, 1923 – July 26, 1971
" The New York ...
from the United States.
History
Diane Arbus was known for her photographs of outsiders and people on the fringes of society. She often shot with a
Rollei
Rollei () was a German manufacturer of optical instruments founded in 1920 by and in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, and maker of the Rolleiflex and Rolleicord series of cameras. Later products included specialty and nostalgic type films for the ...
flex
medium format
Medium format has traditionally referred to a film format in photography and the related cameras and equipment that use film. Nowadays, the term applies to film and digital cameras that record images on media larger than the used in 35&nbs ...
twin-lens reflex
A twin-lens reflex camera (TLR) is a type of camera with two objective lenses of the same focal length. One of the lenses is the photographic objective or "taking lens" (the lens that takes the picture), while the other is used for the viewfind ...
that provided a square
aspect ratio and a waist-level viewfinder. The viewfinder allowed Arbus to connect with her subjects in ways that a standard eye-level viewfinder did not.
Significance
''Identical Twins'' depicts two young twin sisters, Cathleen and Colleen Wade, standing side by side in matching corduroy dresses, white tights, and white headbands in their dark hair. Both stare into the camera, one slightly smiles and the other slightly frowns. The photo has been said to sum up Arbus’ vision. Biographer
Patricia Bosworth
Patricia Bosworth (née Crum, April 24, 1933 – April 2, 2020) was an American journalist and biographer, memoirist, and actress. She was a faculty member of Columbia University’s school of journalism as well as Barnard College, and was a win ...
said, "She was involved in the question of
identity
Identity may refer to:
* Identity document
* Identity (philosophy)
* Identity (social science)
* Identity (mathematics)
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film
* ''Identity'' (2003 film), ...
. Who am I and who are you? The twin image expresses the crux of that vision: normality in freakishness and the freakishness in normality." Arbus' inquiry into identity reaches a climax in this photograph with the noticeable tension between the girls' being twins and individuals at the same time. Their extreme closeness, the uniformity of their clothing and haircut underline their close bond while the facial expressions strongly emphasise their individuality.
[Bissell, Gerhard]
"Arbus, Diane"
in ''Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon
Thieme-Becker is a German biographical dictionary of artists.
Thieme-Becker
The dictionary was begun under the editorship of Ulrich Thieme (1865–1922) (volumes one to fifteen) and Felix Becker (1864–1928) (volumes one to four). It was complet ...
(World Biographical Dictionary of Artists)'', 2006, an
"Diane Arbus"
(condensed English version).
The twins were seven years old when Arbus spotted them at a Christmas party for twins and triplets. The twins' father once said about the photo, "We thought it was the worst likeness of the twins we'd ever seen."
In popular culture
The photo has also inspired other art. Most notably, it is said to be echoed in
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...
's horror film ''
The Shining'' (1980), which features sisters in similar dress and pose.
[ It is also briefly referenced in ]Harmony Korine
Harmony Korine (born January 4, 1973, some sources report September 1, 1974)
" Retrieved on 2009-10-26.
's ''Gummo
''Gummo'' is a 1997 American experimental drama film written and directed by Harmony Korine, starring Jacob Reynolds, Nick Sutton, Jacob Sewell, and Chloë Sevigny. The film is set (but was not filmed) in Xenia, Ohio, a Midwestern American town ...
'' and in an episode
An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a series intended for radio, television or streaming consumption.
The noun ''episode'' is derived from the Greek term ''epeisodion'' (), meaning t ...
of the television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
''Psych
''Psych'' is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks for USA Network. The series stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observ ...
'': "The Old and The Restless". It also appears in ''A Simple Favor'', a
novel by Darcey Bell, where it hangs above the mantel in one of the main characters' home.
In 2004, a print of the photo was sold at Sotheby's
Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...
in New York for $478,000. It is also one of a set of recreated iconic portraits through photographic history by the photographer Sandro Miller using John Malkovich
John Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Screen Actors Guild Aw ...
as the actor in each portrait.[{{Cite news, url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-john-malkovich-sandro-miller-photos-20141105-column.html, title=Sandro Miller does all Malkovich, all the time, last=Borrelli, first=Christopher, date=November 5, 2014, newspaper=chicagotribune.com, access-date=2016-10-27]
See also
* ''Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park
''Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C. 1962'' (1962) is a famous black and white photograph by Diane Arbus.
Significance
The photograph ''Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C. 1962'', by Diane Arbus, shows a boy, w ...
''
References
External links
Diane Arbus: Revelations
exhibition, Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
, London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, 13 October 2005 — 15 January 2006
1967 photographs
1967 in art
Black-and-white photographs
Photographs of the United States
Identical twins
Roselle, New Jersey