Exposure

Description

Acclaimed American documentary photographer Mary Ellen Mark (b. 1940) made her first iconic pictures when living in Turkey on a Fulbright Fellowship in the mid-1960s. Her photographs of Bombay brothels, shot in the late 1970s, were published in 1981 in Falkland Road, a book that became legendary and confirmed her status as one of the most prominent and provocative documentary photographers working today

Mark’s pictures are a celebration of humanity in its most diverse and eccentric forms. Circuses, gypsy camps, children yearning for adulthood, the poor and destitute are some of her recurring themes. Mark has the unique ability to capture gestures and expressions that translate the intense emotions of her subjects. Compassionate but never literal, her pictures can be humorous, tragic, enigmatic, shocking, and oftentimes all of these simultaneously

This book presents for the first time a selection of the strongest pictures of Mark’s forty-year career, drawing from emblematic series such as “Falkland Road,” “Indian Circus,” and “Twins,” as well as a selection of previously unpublished images. The photographs are accompanied by an introduction by Weston Naef, and an interview with Mark that provides context and behind-the-scene anecdotes. Together Mark’s images and words provide intimate insights into the lives of others, presenting compelling stories of human strength and suffering

Weston Naef is curator of the Department of Photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, a position he has held since 1984.

‘Mark’s photographs are involving because they show the quirks and sadness of ordinary people. Her photography is clearly intended to make people empathise with her subjects, and her work is the more powerful for that.’ (Tribune)

‘Impassive is something the reader cannot be, leafing through this poignant and often intimate book depicting society’s marginalised. The images are incomparable in their raw power to evoke emotion of the deepest kind.’ (Northern Echo)

‘A narravtive representing Mark’s life and work as an emotional creative journey … this book demonstrates the full gamut of her ability and talent. Her approach to the subjects displays compassion and empathy, whilst also encoding a harsher side to humanity.’ (Digital Photographer)‘But is this not another documentary book? What’s different about it? Well, for starters, Mark takes us in deeper and closer to a more personal, intimate level. From pictures of a family living in a dilapidated, deserted ranch, to intimate shots of patients at the Oregon State Mental Hospital, Mark demonstrates the diversity of her photography and the trust she instils in her subjects. Easily navigable with accompanying text for each image to aid understanding, the large and pragmatic design allows readers to absorb the rich and grainy black and white photography with ease. What’s more, captions are left until last, allowing readers time to pass judgement free of preconceptions … Humanity and skill demonstrated in a whopping doorstep of a book: fascinating, sometimes depressing and utterly involving.’ (Andy Steel, foto 8)