Mary Ellen Mark

A career retrospective of Mary Ellen Mark, one of the great documentary photographers of the late twentieth century. The work of Mary Ellen Mark (1940–2015) bears witness to her fascination with the human condition and her gift for connecting intimately with her subjects. Her most celebrated images document the plight of the dispossessed, whether psychiatric patients of the Oregon State hospital for her classic book Ward 81 (1979), or the sex workers of Mumbai for Falkland Road (1981). Skilled at blending into unusual or insular environments, she travelled all over the world and forged a body of work that combined photojournalism with portraiture. Although celebrities occasionally appear, she most often focused on those she called the ‘unfamous’, with her attention frequently drawn to the inequalities of American life. From Indian circus performers to daytrippers at Coney Island, from Hollywood film sets to teenagers living on the streets of Seattle, her photographs remain striking for their humanity and empathy. Her subjects are often seen in close-up, looking directly at the camera – these are simply human beings who are aware of having their picture taken. No surprises, no set-ups, no tricks, no traps. This is a career retrospective of a humane, socially and emotionally intelligent photographer.