Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey, 1967

Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey, 1967 is a noted photograph by photographer Diane Arbus from the United States.

Diane Arbus was known for her photographs of outsiders and people on the fringes of society. She often shot with a Rolleiflex medium format twin-lens reflex 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.

"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 parallelism and haunting nature of the photo has been the subject of many essays.Fact|date=June 2007 The photo has been said to sum up Arbus’ vision. Biographer Patricia Bosworth said, "She was involved in the question of identity. Who am I and who are you? The twin image expresses the crux of that vision: normality in freakishness and the freakishness in normality." [cite web | last =Brand | first =Madeleine | title =Diane Arbus' Identical Twins | publisher =NPR | date =June 3, 2002 | url =http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/patc/twins/index.html | accessdate = 2006-12-27 ]

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." [cite web | last =Segal | first =David | title =Double Exposure, A Moment With Diane Arbus Created A Lasting Impression | publisher =The Washington Post | date =May 12, 2005 | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/11/AR2005051102052.html?nav=hcmodule | accessdate = 2006-12-27 ]

The photo has also inspired other art and is said to be echoed in Stanley Kubrick's film "The Shining", which features twins in an identical pose. It is also briefly referenced in Harmony Korine's "Gummo".

"Identical Twins" is tenth on the list of most expensive photographs having sold in 2004 for $478,400.

See also

* Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park

References

External links

* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/11/AR2005051102052.html Double Exposure] Washington Post article about Arbus with stories behind the photographs and interviews with the Wade twins.
* [http://www.vam.ac.uk/arbus Diane Arbus: Revelations] exhibition, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 13 October 2005 — 15 January 2006