Portrait Photographers with themes of mental instability

[licketysplit]

Hello,

I'm looking to do some research into portrait photographers who have done work into mental instabilty &/or personality disorders.

I'm doing some portrait shoots for college assignments & my idea is to have only 1 person & 1 inanimate object for each photo's composition. We have to provide proof of 1 internet & 1 book reference research.

I've found unknown photographers on art sites to study, but i can't seem to find any photographer's 'known' enough to have a book who have done this type of thing.

Can anyone help me out?

 

[Peanuts]

I don't think this is what you are looking for but you might want to look into Dorothea Lange, Jacob Riis, Garry Winogrand (his street photography like "Hollywood and Vine, Los Angeles") then finally Paul Fusco's (with Magnum) photo essay on Chernobyl.

 

[markc]

Diane Arbus

 

[Peanuts]

Diane Arbus

Oh good one. I was thinking about putting her down, but then I didn't know if her photos were necessarily of 'mental instability'. But yes, her work is amazingly unique. I believe there is a movie called 'Fur' (?) coming out about her. Possibly?

 

[Torus34]

The mental instability was that of Arbus, not her subjects.

 

[neea]

Yes there is a movie. And I cant wait to see it.
I plan to do alot of reading about her so I can understand the movie more.