Most comprehensive presentation of Diane Arbus photography ever comes to NYC

This summer, Park Avenue Armory and LUMA Foundation co-present the North American premiere of ‘Constellation,’ the most comprehensive presentation of work by revolutionary photographer Diane Arbus (1923-1971) to date. Bringing together more than 450 prints, many of them still unpublished, the exhibition offers new perspectives on Arbus’s iconic images and the breadth of humanity captured through her lens.

‘Constellation’ invites viewers to chart their own course through the exhibition, revealing unexpected connections between the works and highlighting the alchemy of chance, chaos, and exploration that underlies creativity. Curated by Matthieu Humery and presented in the Armory’s Wade Thompson Drill Hall, the exhibition comes to New York City—Arbus’s hometown and where she made most of her photographs—from June 5 through August 17, 2025, following its highly acclaimed debut at LUMA Arles.

“Diane Arbus’s work is inseparable from the spirit of New York—its streets, its people, its contradictions, and its beauty,” Pierre Audi, the Armory’s Anita K. Hersh Artistic Director, said. “This presentation of ‘Constellation’ is a homecoming—a chance to experience her images in a setting that echoes the scale and complexity of the city that so deeply captivated her. Just as Arbus once wandered the streets of New York in search of potential subjects, visitors are encouraged to meander through the installation and create their own encounters with the people and places that caught the artist’s eye.”

One of the most original and influential artists of the twentieth century, Diane Arbus pioneered a stark, documentary style of capturing people outside the boundaries of ordinary society. From the mundane—children, couples, suburban families, and New York City pedestrians—to the unconventional—circus performers, female impersonators, nudists, celebrities, and more—Arbus’s subjects offer a diverse and compelling portrait of life in postwar America. For decades, her innovative artistry has influenced countless artists and continues to resonate with viewers today.

“The Armory is a place for discovery, where audiences can have new experiences even with the work of one of America’s most celebrated photographers,” Rebecca Robertson, the Adam R. Flatto Founding President and Executive Producer of Park Avenue Armory, said. “This inventive presentation breaks with the traditional ‘exhibition’ format, allowing visitors to step into the Drill Hall and immerse themselves within Arbus’s world—one marked by raw humanity, curiosity, and deep empathy.”

Following Arbus’s death in 1971, Neil Selkirk, a photographer and student of hers, began printing for the Arbus Estate and remains the only person authorized to make prints from her negatives. ‘Constellation’ assembles for the first time all of the prints from the set of more than 450 that Selkirk produced. Presented as an immersive “constellation” of photographs, the exhibition invites visitors to wander freely among the works to discover what lies between the pictures and connects them to each other.

This unprecedented collection of Arbus’s works is given an evocative new life at the Armory, marking the largest and most complete showing of the artist’s works in New York to date.

The installation in the Drill Hall is complemented by screenings of two films in the Armory’s more intimate Board of Officers Room. In the films, Selkirk and Darius Himes, International Head of Photographs for Christie’s, discuss the strategies and techniques that Arbus employed in her work and how her groundbreaking approach to the medium set her apart from other photographers. These conversations were recorded during the original presentation of ‘Constellation’ at LUMA Arles.

“Diane Arbus changed the way we see photography and, in many ways, the way we see ourselves,” curator Matthieu Humery said. “’Constellation’ brings together some of her most powerful and intimate images and grants audiences the freedom to bring their own interpretation to the works. The emotional depth of her photographs is amplified within the Armory’s Drill Hall, drawing viewers into a world where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and the familiar is revealed anew. It is an honor to present this exhibition in such a singular setting, where Arbus’s vision can resonate in profound and unexpected ways.”

Installation Hours and Admission

Monday–Thursday: 12:00pm–8:00pm

Friday: 12:00pm–10:00pm

Saturday–Sunday: 12:00pm–7:00pm

Closed June 19 and July 4

Please note that this event is general admission with timed entry.

 TICKETS: $25 (plus fees), available for purchase at armoryonpark.org / (212) 933-5812