Laurence Miller Gallery Exhibition                               January 11 - March 10, 2007

DIANE ARBUS – HELEN LEVITT: A Conversation, from January 11 – March 10, 2007, presents an off-beat and unexpected juxtaposition of classic images by two great New York photographers. Seen side by side, these familiar images assume new meanings and stimulate us to take a fresh look at each artist’s point of view.

Despite being separated by a generation and a social class, Arbus and Levitt were acquaintances. Though they never crossed paths while photographing, Levitt wrote a letter of recommendation in support of Arbus’s 1962 Guggenheim Fellowship application. They approached their subjects with opposite styles, yet they photographed the same themes:  family, fantasy, friendship, and fashion.  

Helen Levitt’s classic and rarely shown film IN THE STREET, made in the mid-1940’s, will be presented along with the photographs. Concurrently, the Museum of Modern Art is featuring 16 Helen Levitt prints in their new installation of works from their permanent collection.


Numbers for the images below reference the exhibition checklist below

(click on image for detail)

 
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Installation view 
# 1, 2, 3

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Installation view 
# 4, 5

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Installation view 
# 6

 

 

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Installation view 
# 7 - 8

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Installation view
# 12, 11, 10, 9

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Installation view 
# 15, 14, 13

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Installation view
# 18, 17, 16 

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Installation view 
# 20, 19

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Installation view 
# 23, 22, 21

 

 

 

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Installation view 
# 25, 24

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Installation view 
# 29, 28, 27, 26

 

 

 

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Installation view
# 32, 31, 30

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Installation view 
# 37, 36, 35, 34, 33

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Installation view 
# 40, 39, 38

 

 

 

 

Exhibition Checklist

1) Helen Levitt, Harlem Angel, New York City, c.1940
14 x 11" gelatin silver print, signed verso

2) Diane Arbus, Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C. 1962
20 x 16" gelatin silver print, printed early 1970's by Neil Selkirk, no edition number
Estate stamp and Doon Arbus signature on verso

3) Helen Levitt, New York City (girl with lily), c.1940
11 x 14" gelatin silver print, signed verso, printed later

4) Helen Levitt, New York City (boy and sister in window), 1959
25 x 38" c-print, signed on verso. Printed 2006, mounted and framed

5) Diane Arbus, Mexican dwarf in his hotel room, N.Y.C. 1970  **

6) Helen Levitt, New York City (dancing bears), c.1940
14 x 11" gelatin silver print, signed verso, printed later

7) Diane Arbus, The Junior Interstate Ballroom Dance Champions, Yonkers, N.Y. 1963
20 x 16", printed later  by Neil Selkirk, Edition # 17/75
Estate stamp and Doon Arbus signature on verso

8) Helen Levitt, New York City (2 kids dancing), c.1940
14 x 11" gelatin silver print, signed verso, printed later

9) Helen Levitt, Five Cent Soda, NYC, 1938
Vintage gelatin silver print, signed verso
9 1/8 x 6 1/4" print on 10 1/4 x 6 7/8" mount

10) Helen Levitt, New York City (street drawing of man with necktie), c.1939
14 x 11" gelatin silver print, signed verso, printed later

11) Diane Arbus, Four people at a gallery opening, N.Y.C.1968
20 x 16" gelatin silver print, printed early 1970s by Neil Selkirk, Edition # 19/75
Estate stamp and Doon Arbus signature on verso

12) Helen Levitt, New York City (man and mannequin), c.1940
11 x 14" gelatin silver print, signed verso, printed later

13) Diane Arbus, Retired man and his wife at home in a nudist camp one morning, NJ 1963 **

14) Helen Levitt, New York City (couple in hats), c.1940
11 x 14" gelatin silver print, printed later

15) Helen Levitt, New York City (leaning couple), c.1940
11 x 14" gelatin silver print, signed verso, printed later

16) Diane Arbus, The King and Queen of a Senior Citizens' Dance, N.Y.C. 1970  **

17) Helen Levitt, New York City (anxious couple), c.1942
Vintage gelatin silver print, signed verso
9 1/8 x 7 3/8" print on 14 1/4 x 10" mount

18) Diane Arbus, A family on their lawn one Sunday in Westchester, N.Y. 1968 **

19) Diane Arbus, Burlesque comedienne in her dressing room, Atlantic City, NJ 1963
20 x 16" gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk, Edition # 38/75
Estate stamp and Doon Arbus signature on verso

20) Helen Levitt (woman in fur), c.1940
11 x 14" gelatin silver print, signed verso, printed later

21) Diane Arbus, Identical Twins, Roselle, NJ 1967  **

22) Helen Levitt, Brooklyn, New York (two nuns), c.1940
11 x 14" gelatin silver print, signed verso, printed later

23) Diane Arbus, Two ladies at the automat, N.Y.C. 1966
20 x 16" gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk, Edition # 57/75
Estate stamp and Doon Arbus signature on verso

24) Helen Levitt, New York City (checkered cab), 1982
14 x 11" gelatin silver print, signed verso, printed later

25) Diane Arbus, Xmas tree in a living room, Levittown, L.I. 1963 **

26) Diane Arbus, Girl with a cigar in Washington Square Park, N.Y. C. 1965
20 x 16" gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk, Edition # 23/75
Estate stamp and Doon Arbus signature on verso

27) Helen Levitt, New York City (smoking woman), c.1939
Early gelatin silver print, printed c.1960
7 x 10 3/8", sign verso

28) Helen Levitt, New York City (2 boys smoking), c.1940
11 x14" gelatin silver print, signed verso, printed later

29) Diane Arbus, A young man in curlers at home on West 20th Street, N.Y.C. 1966  **

30) Diane Arbus, Untitled (7) 1970-71
20 x 16" gelatin silver print, printed January 1977 by Neil Selkirk, No edition number
Estate stamp and Doon Arbus signature on verso

31) Helen Levitt, New York City (kids with masks), c.1939
11 x 14' gelatin silver print, signed verso, printed later

32) Diane Arbus, Untitled (4) 1970-71
20 x 16" gelatin silver print, printed early 1970s by Neil Selkirk, No edition number
Estate stamp and Doon Arbus signature on verso

33) Diane Arbus, A Jewish giant at home with his parents in the Bronx, N.Y. 1970  **

34) Diane Arbus, Mother holding her child, N.J. 1967
Vintage gelatin silver print, signed by Diane Arbus on verso
14 x 11", Doon Arbus authentication and estate stamps on verso

35) Helen Levitt, New York City (laughing carriage), c.1940
14 x 11", signed verso, printed later

36) Diane Arbus, A young Brooklyn family going for a Sunday outing, N.Y.C. 1966  **

37) Helen Levitt, New York City (phone booth), 1988
Dye-transfer print, 17 x 14"
Signed verso, printed later

38) Diane Arbus, Boy with straw hat waiting to march in a pro-war parade, N.Y.C. 1967 **

39) Helen Levitt, New York City (boys playing foreign legion), c.1939
Vintage gelatin silver print, signed verso
6 5/8 x 9 5/8" on 8 x 9 3/4" mount

40) Diane Arbus, Man in Indian headdress, N. Y. C. 1969
20 x 16", printed later by Neil Selkirk, Edition # 14/75
Estate stamp and Doon Arbus signature on verso

**  These prints are from the portfolio
Diane Arbus
"A box of ten photographs" 1970
Printed by Neil Selkirk c.1972
Each print is 20 x 16", and numbered on verso 13/50
Each print has the estate stamp and Doon Arbus signature on verso
Sold only as complete set of 10. Price on request.

Prices:
Helen Levitt prints start at $4000. Diane Arbus prints start at $16,000
Please contact the gallery regarding specific print availability and pricing.

212-397-3930

 

 


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