Customer Reviews

Mary Ellen Mark: Exposure

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I popped into a book store tonight before a movie and saw this book on the shelf and thought I'd leaf through it...I ended up sitting on a bench and looking at almost every photo, and even calling my companion over to take a look.

I've seen Mark's work before and never really was blown away by it, but this was different. It's a large book with large photos and it covers a wide variety of subjects. When you look at these candid portraits, you are instantly struck by not only the power of the images themselves, but a sense of wonder as to where she had to go to get these photos and the trust she had to gain to get such intimacy with her subjects. It's mostly black and white, but there are some color images too.

I wanted to buy the book on the spot, but it was really expensive in the store, so I am going to order it here.

If you are into documentary photography, you'll love this book.

This is a nice collection of haunting, melancholy images that span the artist's career. You can certainly feel her affinity for the deprived and the castaways of society. The images often precariously balance the line between documentary and exploitation, yet the subjects never appear to be disingenuous. The reproductions and the quality of the paper are top-notch. However, most of the images span across the spine of the book, which I find quite annoying. Imagine taking a fine art photograph and putting a large crease in the middle of it. I know it allows the images to be larger, but I find it really distracting. Don't do like I did. Make sure you check the book out in person before ordering it.

The contents of the book mandate a rating of 5 stars... this is an excellent book. But the binding of the book rate a one star. The book - which is paper back - has no real way to keep the pages in... and the pages began to separate upon first use. So sad to put together such superb material in such a shoddy manner.

Hadn't heard of Mary Ellen Mark until today where I attended a lecture by her at the Akron Museum of Art. This book provides a wonderful introduction to Mark's work over the 50 or so years. The subject matter, on the surface appears to be quite varied from circuses through to poverty, but the underlying theme is fairly constant - the struggle of the impoverished, ill, and all others that occupy the fringes of society. Locations range from China, USA, Turkey, India, Mexico etc. forming cultural backdrops to her photographic documentaries. Images range from a photo of an ethiopian refugee laying completely spent after giving birth, sleeping Damm family with the fathers arm wrapped around the daughter in an obvious indictment of child abuse, through to Mother Teresa attending to a dying man. Mark has selcted the 134 images as the ones she deems to be the strongest of the many thousands she took throughout her career. And a thought provoking collection it is too.
The collection is worthy of 5 stars apart from the way in which many of the images span both pages with a resulting fold down the middle. Thinking more might have been gained by restricting each image to a page - obviously the larger format provides for greater detail.
An excellent collection for those familiar and not so familiar with the photographic eye of Mary Ellen Mark. Highly recommended.

Mary Ellen Marks is important because her photography is not focused on poverty, violence, mental instability, or drug abuse, its about the life of real people and how they have had to live. Her pictures of children in Indian brothels show smiles and colorful curtains, though the horror of child prostitution is unforgivable. Her photos of seniors in Florida shows their is a lot of life left to live(my personal favorite is the lady dancing with the jukebox)though they are in senior centers and retirement communities. I really liked her pictures of Halloween in NYC shelter because it shows how happy these kids are to have costumes and parties. When you look at her photos, you stop and recognize the sadness or the atrocity of the situation, but there is no pity just respect for those having to deal with it. I love how simple and touching her photographs are and thankful that I was allowed to be blessed with the life I have.

Her books are among the best you can find.
She covers America and rest of the world with her Original Eye.

Beautiful Images.
Interesting Subject matter.

These photographs are unlike most that are produced today, they have Aesthetics and Content!
If you are Sick of the Drivel coming from the scores of Fashion photographers, Open a Gem like this!