Ada Arbus Find A Prostitute ❤️

About Rome

So, I’m hoppin along, mindin my biz, thinkin – how’s this even work? Ya don’t just yell, “Hey, hooker!” Nah, that’s dumb. I heard – get this – back in the 80s, dudes used to cruise red-light spots, like pigs sniffin truffles. Little known fact: some cities had “prostitute maps” – legit guides! Sold under counters, hush-hush. Wild, huh? Makes me mad tho – folks judgin em, like they’re trash. “Society tosses em out,” like Varda said bout potatoes. Misshapen, but still good, ya know?

Mary Ellen Mark for Photographic Research

I knew about as much about photography as I did about prostitution – I actually learned how to take photos in that brothel. I ended up working.

As I sit on the train, I think about how wild life is. I wouldn’t trade this day for anything. Arbus, you’ve got my heart. Even if you do have the world’s biggest pigeons.

Through Her Lens Darkly: Diane Arbus’s Life Was as Raw as Her Work (Published 2016)