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Lot Essay
There are three lifetime prints by Diane Arbus in Temple of Style: The Barbara Jakobson Collection, two of which were acquired through the Museum of Modern Art’s art lending service. In 2005, while raising funds for the Museum of Modern Art acquisition budget, Barbara Jakobson shared the following memories of meeting Diane Arbus.
"In 1957, Barbara Jakobson met Diane Arbus at the Central Park 'Mommy Playground' after noticing Arbus quietly sewing apart from the other mothers. They struck up a playground friendship that lasted even after Arbus moved downtown and until the artist’s death.” According to Jakobson, over their years she would often watch Arbus’ younger daughter Amy while Arbus made photographs.
Not many years later, Jakobson began an apprenticeship at the Museum of Modern Art and continued to follow Arbus’ artistic development with admiration. In the late 1960s, Jakobson acquired several of Arbus’ photographs through the museum, including the present lot.
In 1963, Arbus was awarded her first Guggenheim Grant for a proposal entitled "American Rites, Manners and Customs.” In her application, she outlined her intention to capture “Ceremonies of Celebration,” specifically referencing pageants, conventions, and games among other events (Sandra Phillips et al., Diane Arbus: Revelations, Random House, New York, 2003, p. 41). She expressed a desire to photograph moments “like somebody’s grandmother putting up preserves, because they will have been so beautiful” (ibid). Receiving the Guggenheim grant marked a pivotal moment in Arbus’ career. Over the next year, Arbus travelled the country visiting festivals and competitions including “Miss Lo-Cal,” “spaghetti eating,” “Freckles,” and, of course, the Junior Interstate Ballroom Dance Championships (ibid p. 334).
The present lot is an extremely rare, lifetime print of the image and among only two lifetime prints to ever come to auction.
"In 1957, Barbara Jakobson met Diane Arbus at the Central Park 'Mommy Playground' after noticing Arbus quietly sewing apart from the other mothers. They struck up a playground friendship that lasted even after Arbus moved downtown and until the artist’s death.” According to Jakobson, over their years she would often watch Arbus’ younger daughter Amy while Arbus made photographs.
Not many years later, Jakobson began an apprenticeship at the Museum of Modern Art and continued to follow Arbus’ artistic development with admiration. In the late 1960s, Jakobson acquired several of Arbus’ photographs through the museum, including the present lot.
In 1963, Arbus was awarded her first Guggenheim Grant for a proposal entitled "American Rites, Manners and Customs.” In her application, she outlined her intention to capture “Ceremonies of Celebration,” specifically referencing pageants, conventions, and games among other events (Sandra Phillips et al., Diane Arbus: Revelations, Random House, New York, 2003, p. 41). She expressed a desire to photograph moments “like somebody’s grandmother putting up preserves, because they will have been so beautiful” (ibid). Receiving the Guggenheim grant marked a pivotal moment in Arbus’ career. Over the next year, Arbus travelled the country visiting festivals and competitions including “Miss Lo-Cal,” “spaghetti eating,” “Freckles,” and, of course, the Junior Interstate Ballroom Dance Championships (ibid p. 334).
The present lot is an extremely rare, lifetime print of the image and among only two lifetime prints to ever come to auction.