Mary Ellen Mark: Exposure

Book 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from emblematic series such as "Falkland Road," "Indian Circus," and "Twins," as well as a selection of previously unpublished images.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.

Customer Reviews:

5 stars but for the binding.......2007-10-01

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 Mark: Exposure.......2007-08-02

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.

disappointing format.......2006-03-21

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.

must see photography .......2005-11-07

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.

Incredible documentary photography.......2005-10-08

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.

Average customer rating:

Pay Attention to the Reviews
I'm with those on the side of concerns....
When done correctly is AMAZING!
Holding is not easy but it works
Thank you with all my heart

Holding Time
Martha G. Welch , and Mary Ellen Mark
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0671688782

Customer Reviews:

Pay Attention to the Reviews.......2007-02-18

The only good reviews are from people who didn't use it on autistic children or altered the method to leave out forced holding. Should get you thinking.

I'm with those on the side of concerns...........2006-10-30

This method, when used appropriately, may be useful for some children who do not have "severe" attachment issues. Children with secure attachments who have normal "acting out" behaviors will probably not be adversely effected by forced holds, and may show some signs of benefits (though I question whether those same benefits would not be achieved by minimized physical contact while coaching a child in expressing their emotions through words). I strongly advocate against this method for children with anxious or avoidant attachment patterns--as do most other therapuetic professionals I work with (I, personally, am not a professional--but an adult who has worked through the challenges of anxious/avoidant attachment styles).

From my experiences and the numerous reports of others in similar circumstances, I have come to believe that forced holdings may appear to have short term benefits. After all, children with insecure attachment patterns are primed for survival, and if you must submit to forced holdings in order to survive you will quickly learn to do so. However, in the long run, forced holding has adverse effects on attachment and responsiveness to physical contact. Personally, after entering therapy of my own accord in college it took two years before I was able to willingly allow someone to hug me (though I still would submit to hugs in situations where it was "culturally appropriate"). Forced holding did nothing for my attachment patterns--though initially there may have been a decrease in negative externalized behaviors (followed by an increase in internalized behaviors such as self-injury and suicidal ideation).

On the other hand--using these methods for voluntary holds can work wonders, I use "holding time" as a voluntary activity for many of the emotionally challenged (and emotionally typical) children I work with. The benefits of voluntary and appropriate physical contact can not be emphasised enough.

For good guidelines on appropriate intervention techniques, try Dr. Becky Bailey's "Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline" and "I Love You Rituals". The "I Love You" rituals alone are often enough for me, as a teacher, to break through with difficult children--and they are all presented in method that is voluntary, interactive, and nonthreatening--unlike forced holds.

When done correctly is AMAZING!.......2006-09-12

I think one can implement this type of "discipline" incorrectly and cause damage, like another review speaks of...child can come to hate touch and hugs. But when done right it makes a world of difference. Unfortunately I got a late start w/ my daughter...she was 6 before I discovered this book. Its a late and more challenging age to start but when we used this method we had a wonderful experience. I HIGHLY starting this method on your tiny ones. Its reassuring to them and builds their sense of trust. Another note: Parents should be the only ones implementing this form. Not strangers- that is dangerous, so the babysitter is out and so is the teacher. This is intimate and very rewarding for child and parent. I strongly suggest it to all parents. But be open, I'm not saying it works with every child, like spanking doesn't work with every child, nor do time-outs.

Holding is not easy but it works.......2006-05-13

Holding is difficult. It depends on the family strength and will-power to maintain a nurturing connection with the child. But I am truly convinced that, in the case of my children at least, both of my adopted children would have been in deep trouble. Their behavior was terrible in the extreme. James, age 9, would have become a sociopath and ended up in prison. Sonia, age 10, would have been engaged in antisocial behaviors - shoplifting, self-mutilation or teenage pregancy. I've seen it too often in other families. In our case we needed coaching on how to safely do holding within our family. But after we got it (a 2-day program) we were able to dramatically alter the behavior of both children. Before the 2-day intensive program, they would fight all day long, a major meltdown every 25 minutes. After the intensive I think they went 6 months without a fight. It was like someone cut fighting out of our home life. Is it hard? Yes. Is it countercultural? Yes. But for those families lucky enough to have supportive resources for the mom (who ends up doing the big share of nurturing) it works.

Thank you with all my heart.......2006-03-21

My husband and I adopted three sisters from romania. They were 2, 3 and 5 when we brought them home. I am writing the story of our adoption for infertility, adoption and parenting, and have gotten to the part where I bought your book, desperately looking for a way to handle my youngest daughter's tantrums.

"I stayed up late the night the book arrived, reading it from cover to cover. It made sense! It really did, and it was all about the bond that forms with mother and child, the bond that happens when gazing into each other's eyes, while nursing, something my baby never had, and I certainly didn't share with her either. The author said it wasn't too late to create the bond, and outlined her steps of "holding time". I was excited when I told my husband about it, but he seemed skeptical. How do you recreate that bond? The book said during a temper tantrum you should hold your child in your lap, as though you were going to nurse, or cuddle, and make eye contact, and just keep saying, I love you. I was anxious to try it with my daughter. She didn't make me wait long.

She had a screaming fit after school. I don't remember why. I told her sisters to keep playing in the kitchen, and carried my screaming, bucking girl into the living room where I sat on the couch with her in my arms. As the book described, she flung herself backwards and tried very hard to get away from me. She kicked and screamed blue bloody murder, making me thankful we still had no neighbors. It wasn't easy to hold her, but I did, it wasn't easy to keep my voice calm, but I did. I told her her screams hurt my ears, said it over and over until she understood me, and gradually stopped. I kept my eyes on hers, following her tossing head, trying to get her to look at me. I told her again and again how much I loved her. As described in the book, the most amazing transformation took place. She calmed down, started to look at me, then melted in my arms. She sighed a huge sigh and went limp, staring at me like she had never seen me before. I rocked her, cradling her in my arms, and got lost in her eyes.

She told me she loved me. I started crying. Her tiny hand came to my face, and wiped my tears. She started to comfort me, and that moment of pure love shared with her will stay with me forever. She looked in my eyes without blinking, pure and complete trust in her face, and asked me if she had been in my belly. I was blown away. I never expected such a question. She knew she was adopted, but she asked me with such a need that I said, yes, you were in my belly, and I meant it, she was my daughter, if she needed to feel a part of me, well, I needed it too. I held her like that until she fell asleep."

I have had many mothers thank me for sharing this, telling me they were ordering copies of your book. My girls are now 7, 8 and 9, and we are still holding. Thank you with all my heart.

Babel: A Film by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Photo Books)

Average customer rating:

wonderful ideas, poor editing
Wonderful Item
Powerful
Potent, Often Affecting Images From and Around Iñárritu's Dazzling Global Triptych Film
Remembering the Intricacies of BABEL

Babel: A Film by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Photo Books)

Manufacturer: Taschen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3822818143

Book Description

On the set with Iñárritu: The making of the final film in the Mexican director's acclaimed trilogy

Mexican film director Alejandro González Iñárritu, along with top photographers Mary Ellen Mark, Patrick Bard, Graciela Iturbide, and Miguel Rio Branco, bring together their highly perceptive visions on cultural diversity in a book that combines seductive images and firsthand remarks on the unique experience of shooting Babel. Winner of the Best Director prize at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, the film is the third in the director's trilogy started by Amores Perros and 21 Grams.

Shot in Morocco, Tijuana, and Tokyo, and involving a multilingual cast lead by Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal, and Koji Yakusho, as well non-professional actors from the three countries portrayed, Babel continues the director's quest to explore the effects of loss and grief, and seeks to relate the modern implications of ancient myth on the origins of human inability to successfully communicate.

Customer Reviews:

wonderful ideas, poor editing.......2007-05-28

Inarritu's text sheds light on his creative process. His ideas are, for the most part, beautifully expressed; his words are those of a true artist. However, this book was badly edited. There are grammatical mistakes everywhere, quite a few sentences run aground and there are many wrong word choices. I assume that the filmmaker wrote in Spanish and that his work was translated. Edith Grossman is listed as having translated the Spanish into English; surely she would never have turned in such sloppy work. So then, who is responsible for the text? The book lists Maria Hagerman as editor. This is the wife of the filmmaker, someone who is not a native English speaker. Nevertheless, Taschen should not have let this book go into production without employing a line editor with an impeccable knowledge of English. They have done a disservice to Innaritu.

Wonderful Item.......2007-03-11

Wonderful book, great price and great shipping time. Book is worth a lot more than the selling price.

Powerful.......2007-03-08

Powerful first class photography around a film that was equallly well shot and deeply moving. Even if you don't care for the celebrity angle (Brad and Cate), these are strong images in and of themselves. Classic B&W in Morocco, psychedelic color in Japan.

Potent, Often Affecting Images From and Around Iñárritu's Dazzling Global Triptych Film.......2007-01-19

If like me, you were dazzled by the diverse imagery of director Alejandro González Iñárritu's most recent film, "Babel", you will likely take particular interest in this handsome coffee-table book that compiles an impressive gallery of stills within the context of his recollections of the filming. Four superb photographers - Mary Ellen Mark, Patrick Bard, Graciela Iturbide, and Miguel Rio Branco - are responsible for the vital, often seductive photos presented here, both production stills and behind-the-scenes shots. The combination gives a sense of the deep cultural immersion and the bold visual palette in capturing the lives in three distinct locales - Morocco, Tijuana and Tokyo. The result is comparable in quality to any National Geographic photography retrospective.

Iñárritu's perceptive writing effectively reflects off the images to paint the broad political and emotional landscape of the film, while coming back to the common ground of people who are unable to communicate in some finite way but somehow find a bond with one other. What is most striking is how the film's story seems to mirror much of what went on with the real people during the production. There are illuminating essays by novelist and poet Eliseo Alberto and Gonzalez Iñárritu included in the introduction. As he has already proven with his first two films, "Amores Perros" and "21 Grams", Iñárritu shows an intractable grasp of loss and grief in familiar settings. That he is able to address the same themes and make them resonate even more on a global plain in "Babel" is quite astonishing. Fortunately, this book is a powerful testament to his talent as an imagemaker.

Remembering the Intricacies of BABEL.......2006-11-12

When a motion picture of such impact as Alejandro González Iñárritu's BABEL is released, then books such as this fine one become additive to the experience. The four stories that are so integrated into the whole become a bit more individually understandable with the time it takes to perruse this photography book. Together with cogent remarks about both the technical aspects of making this film as well as anecdotal comments about the locations, the cast and the crew that add to the pleasure are some stunning photographs both form the film and extra images.

Still photographers Mary Ellen Mark, Patrick Bard, Graciela Iturbide, and Miguel Rio Branco add scenes from the film as well as images of the sets and creation of the film that make the experience live again. Yet as with the impact of the movie, the lasting impact of this addendum to the experience dwells in the mind after the covers are closed. BABEL is n important film: this book heightens the experience for those who have seen the movie and assists those who have yet to experience it. Grady Harp, November 06

Average customer rating:

wonderful, beautiful book

Mary Ellen Mark: Falkland Road

Manufacturer: Steidl
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3865211283
Release Date: 2006-01-15

Book Description

Falkland Road is a notorious street of prostitutes in Bombay. It is like any busy lower-class street in Bombay, densely populated by vendors, merchants and shops, but also overcrowded with girls, from 11-year-olds to 65-year-old ex-madams. The street is lined with old wooden buildings, which teem with prostitutes hanging out of the windows, in the viewing cages on the ground floor, and on the steps. From sunrise to sunset the customers pass down the street to survey the girls. Mary Ellen Mark's extraordinary portrait of Falkland Road was first published in 1981 and has long been recognized as one of the major bodies of work in the canon of this significant Magnum photographer. The book contains 65 photographs made over six weeks that show the daily life lived by the women (and men) of the street. Mark's images are beautiful, electric, shocking, and remarkable for their emotional power and for the visceral brilliance of their color. Together with Mark's captions and introductory text, Falkland Road is an astonishing work of insight into a raw and frightening world, made accessible by the completeness of the photographer's involvement, by her humanity, and by the way she captures the variety of individual life and the color, passion, and tenderness that still abide there.

Customer Reviews:

wonderful, beautiful book.......2006-07-25

I got this book for my boyfriend for his birthday (he is a photographer). The book is full of the most beautiful and dreadful photographs. The writing is good too- the author tells of her experience trying to be accepted into this tight, dangerous, intimidating Indian community. Inspiring to photographers and artists and sociologists and anthropologists alike.

Mary Ellen Mark: Twins (Aperture Monograph)

Average customer rating:

Mary Ellen Mark a strange but interesting bird
Presenting subtle differences as well as similarities
Beautiful Portraits

Mary Ellen Mark: Twins (Aperture Monograph)

Manufacturer: Aperture
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1931788197
Release Date: 2005-06-15

Book Description

Mary Ellen Mark, voted by the readers of American Photo as the most influential woman photographer of all time, has made some of America's most iconic images in a career spanning more than three decades. In Twins, Mark turns her eye and her heart to the extraordinary bond that exists between these very special siblings. For two years in a row, she set up a studio on the site of America's premier twins festival and invited participants to be photographed. Using a twenty-by-twenty-four-inch Polaroid camera, Mark created an extraordinary body of work-a collection of sometimes beautiful, often unsettling images-that reveals subtle nuances in the relationships of the twins she observed. Gorgeously printed in tritone, the book replicates the stellar quality of her large-format photographs in a fitting tribute to one of America's preeminent photographers.

Mary Ellen Mark's photographs have appeared in Life, The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Vogue, Us, and The Sunday Times Magazine of London.

Customer Reviews:

Mary Ellen Mark a strange but interesting bird.......2007-08-17

Any photographers looking for a book theme should study this one, which, obviously, focuses on twins. Why? Because it's much more than an assemblage of photos of twins. For instance, one shot shows a pair of handicapped twins who just happen to have as their day nurses another set of twins. There are other equally interesting shots in the book that make it worth having on your shelf.

Presenting subtle differences as well as similarities.......2004-07-16

Artist/author Mary Ellen Mark spent two consecutive years setting up a studio on the site of the Twinsburg, Ohio 'twin days' festival', inviting twins to be photographed: Twins provides a collection of startling images which succeed in presenting subtle differences as well as startling similarities between twins. The multicultural representation of twins as well as the inclusion of which twin is older by how many minutes makes these full-page black and white photos exceptional works of art and study.

Beautiful Portraits.......2003-12-09

Haven't most of the rest of us all wondered at one time or another what it would be like to have a twin? It is amazing that two people can look so alike. And we can only imagine that there is a closeness there that most of us never experience in our lives.

Though a picture may not be able to get inside someone's mind, it can sure come close with the right artist and Mary Ellen Mark has an ability to see inside her subjects that is nearly unequaled. And that may be why I find these pictures of twins so compelling. Looking at these twins you cannot help but notice the similarities at first glance. And Mark's poses encourage this: symmetries and mirror images. But this is just a trick that lets her camera look beyond. The more you look the more the differences--wisps of hair, injuries old & new, the twist in a smile--jump out and are moving.

I am a big fan of photographic portraiture and Mark is an expert in the genre. In twins she has chosen a theme that plays to her strengths. I would encourage everyone who loves photography to take a look at her work. And once you've studied these pictures to your heart's content, take some time to peruse the excerpts from the subject interviews at the end of the book. It adds another dimension to what you've seen. All in all, this is a book to add to your art book collection.

Average customer rating:

Great artist and great selection of her work

An inspiration

Best of Mary Ellen Mark

Mary Ellen Mark: 25 Years
Marianne Fulton
Manufacturer: Little Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0821218387

Customer Reviews:

Great artist and great selection of her work.......2001-10-27

This is a great book. It was recommended to me by a friend and I'm so glad I bought it. Mary Ellen Mark is a very talented photographer and this book has a great selection of her work, I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes photography, especially photographs of people.

An inspiration.......2000-01-14

This book inspired me to take up photography. The images are powerful, and heart felt. I sincerly hope that this book will once again be avaliable for purchase.

Best of Mary Ellen Mark.......1999-04-01

This book, 25 Years, is the finest representation of a photographers work that I know of in print! I never tire reading the articles and studying her work. A fine collection of a fabuluse artist. I pray that the publisher reprints the book again. It is much to hard to find and should be more excesible to readers and those who appreicate good photography

Average customer rating:

Splendid Introduction to Mary Ellen Mark's work
A good introduction to an amazing photographic eye
Respecting the Humanity of All
A Glimpse at the Soul
fat acceptance

Mary Ellen Mark (Phaidon 55s)
Charles Hagen
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0714840467

Book Description

Mary Ellen Mark (b.1940) has excelled as a documentary photo-grapher for over thirty years. She has recorded the lives of people on the margins of society in dramatic, compelling images. Yet her work is more than a record of newsworthy events, presenting rich symbolic narratives about humanity in general.

Other artists in this series include: Eugene Atget, Mathew Brady, Wynn Bullock, Julia Margaret Cameron, Joan Fontcuberta, David Goldblatt, Nan Goldin, Graciela Iturbide, Andre Kertesz, Dorothea Lange, Joel Meyerowitz, Boris Mikhailov, Lisette Model, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Eadweard Muybridge, Eugene Richards, W. Eugene Smith, Shomei Tomatsu, Joel-Peter Witkin

Customer Reviews:

Splendid Introduction to Mary Ellen Mark's work.......2004-10-24

This is yet another in a spectacular series of Phaidon 55 books devoted to some of the most important photographers of our time. This terse volume on Mary Ellen Mark's work includes all of her major documentary photography essays, ranging from her landmark series on homeless teens in Seattle, featuring Tiny, the waifish prostitute she'd befriend, to circus performers in India and Mexico. Indeed her work truly demonstrates her strong interest and compassion for people, depicting homeless Americans, Irish Tinkers (Gypsies) and India's impoverished masses with much interest and empathy for each of her subjects. This splendid book truly captures the immense breadth and depth of Ms. Mark's work. For years I have greatly admire her work and am pleased that some of her finest images are available now in this inexpensive book. Photographer and writer Charles Hagen has a superb introductory essay on Ms. Mark and her career. Without question, this fine volume is an exceptional introduction to Mary Ellen Mark and her critically acclaimed documentary photography.

A good introduction to an amazing photographic eye.......2001-07-15

I read about the Phaidon 55S series in Popular Photography and thought I would check out the volume on Mary Ellen Mark. I have been drawn to her photographs for years and had recently seen an exhibition of her work in NYC. She has Walker Evan's gift for capturing moments in people's lives and she finds the life beyond the smile or grimace of the subject.Her subjects are lively and a bit wicked at times, but there is supreme truth in her photographs. This series gets its title from the fact that each book has 55 photos by the subject. The price is excellent for someone who wants to collect some great art for a low price. Great introduction to a talented artist....highly recommended.

Respecting the Humanity of All.......2001-06-28

Summary: These black-and-white images are produced on wonderful paper and with great quality. They explore the underlying human qualities we all share. The work is introduced by a Maya Angelou poem, and is concluded by an excellent essay in which Ms. Mark explains her work. Her subjects are mostly people of the economic and social underclasses as they pursue their hopes and dreams, while dealing with their day-to-day problems. Viewing these photographs will draw you closer to people who, on the surface, are quite different from you. The models are often captured over time and in alternative settings to help explain their lives and personalities.

Content Caution: The images in this book contain a few involving minor female nudity that would earn its contents an R rating if it were a motion picture.

Review:

"I note the obvious differences

in the human family."

" . . . but we are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike." -- Maya Angelou

The theme of this poem nicely captures the focus of this book of loving photographic images. As Ms. Mark says, "I much prefer to photograph people I care about." She wants to "build a rapport with my subjects." In studying them, "I am guided by what moves and surprises me." That final element will affect you as well. Too often, we mentally pass by those around us. Ms. Mark's images make us want to reach out with our hearts and minds.

The book shows people from all parts of America over the period from 1963 through 1999. The photographs portray all kinds of races, creeds, colors, and political and sexual persuasions. Ideas that you may not like are portrayed involving people you will probably find appealing. That juxtaposition of people and issues will cause you to rethink how you relate to others. It will probably make you more modest and humble, and that's good. Special themes involve the mentally ill, twins, homelessness, beauty contests, political rallies, and families over time.

My favorite images in the book are as follows:

Santa Claus at Lunch, New York City, 1963;

Marky Mark concert, Jersey City, New Jersey, 1993;

Hot Tub, West Orange, New Jersey, 1999;

Bodybuilder, Daytona Beach, Florida, 1991;

Russell, Kansas, 1986;

Mary Frances in the tub, Ward 81, Salem, Oregon, 1976;

Jail, Houston, Texas, 1977;

Husband and wife, Harland County, Kentucky, 1971;

Jesse Damm, Llano, California, 1994;

Hurstie Laxton after the flood, St. Louis, Missouri, 1993;

Million Youth March, New York City, 1998;

Lakiesha, South Dallas, Texas, 1988;

Clinton Albright and his father, Santa Clarita, California, 1982;

Nightclub off of Highway 61, Michigan, 1991;

Vashira and Tashira Hargrove, twins, H.E.L.P. Shelter, Suffolk, New York, 1993; and

Tiny, pregnant, Seattle, Washington, 1985.

After you see these photographs, you will probably agree with Ms. Mark that she has been on "a long and blessed journey" that has opened her heart and ours.

Seeing these photographs should encourage you to become acquainted with people you see who you would normally not think to speak to. Try living that way for a day. If you enjoy the experience, keep on going -- taking it . . . one day at a time.

Find the common ground . . . wherever you go!

A Glimpse at the Soul.......2001-06-11

I was fortunate enough to see the exhibition of these photographs at the International Center of Photography a few days ago. If you can, go to see the show before it closes. If you can't, buy this book and get a glimpse at the power of a photograph.

Though no expert, I enjoy the art of photography. I am particularly interested in portraits of real people. Mary Ellen Mark has the ability to capture people with extra-ordinary depth and feeling. Almost without fail, her images are moving. With a skill beyond the normal artist, however, her images have the ability to be thought-provoking.

Consider a photo labelled "Aryan Nations, Hayden Lake, Idaho, 1986." Three pleasant-looking, smiling women--the cherubic face of the woman on the far right particularly draws the eye--set in counterpoint to their white supremacist garb. Or consider the series of photographs of Tiny who has clearly experienced many things in her life but who face, amazingly, holds the same soul in each image. Or consider the contrast between the photographs of Julie d'Aquili and Cynthia Galves despite their similar poses. Julie is a healthy young woman but her somber expression stands out starkly against the cancer-ridden Cynthia who still manages a smile.

I believe that I could write something about every single photograph in this collection. Let me instead just say that these photographs will grip you and hold your attention for hours. You will come back to them again and again. And, unlike reproductions of paintings in a book, photographs do not suffer from the process nearly as much. I would encourage anyone with an interest in photography to take a look at this book.

fat acceptance.......2001-01-05

One image is worth the price: four women, floating in a swimming pool, arms and legs linked, at the national Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, Big and Beautiful New Year's Eve Party, Long Island, New York, 1996.

(Great book for Hasselblad nerds; it will give you a lot of ideas for how to fill a square frame creatively.)

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The photojournalist, Mary Ellen Mark & Annie Leibovitz (Masters of contemporary photography)
Adrianne Marcus
Manufacturer: T. Y. Crowell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Mark, Mary Ellen | Photographers, A-Z | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Annie Leibovitz: American Music

ASIN: 0690006209

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Documentation of an Unimaginable World

Falkland Road
Mary Ellen Marks
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0394740009
Release Date: 1981-05-12

Customer Reviews:

Documentation of an Unimaginable World.......2005-08-16

This book contains a collection of photos of ordinary life on Falkland Rd, the redlight district of Bombay in the late 1970s. Mark introduces the book with a brief text describing some of the difficulties that she had to overcome in order to take the pictures. Like any tightly-woven neighborhood residents were reluctant to let an outsider take their pictures while they were engaging in aspects of their daily life. Before Mark could begin to get some candid shots, she needed to approach the residents and earn their trust. Because she took the time to get to know her subjects, she is able to portray them not as sex objects, but as people with emotions, desires, hopes, and needs.

Mark portrays many aspects of the prostitutes' world. She includes photos of the transvestite prostitutes as well as the female prostitutes, their children, their husbands and other family members. In her photos, we see the range of prostitutes from the lowest price girls in the cages at street level to the ones working in "luxury" accommodations far above the street. Mark relates some of the heart-rendering stories of the prostitutes, how they were kidnapped or sold into prostitution by desperate parents; others were born into the business. This is a remarkable book not only for its photographs capturing the soul of the human condition, but also for its documentation of the sex industry in one corner of the developing world.

Photography Past/Forward: Aperture At 50

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Gallery is great!
A celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of "Aperture"

Photography Past/Forward: Aperture At 50
R.H. Cravens , Madonna , and Arthur Danto
Manufacturer: Aperture
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

History | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Catalogs | Catalogs & Directories | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1931788375
Release Date: 2005-06-15

Book Description

Since its founding in 1952, Aperture has grown from a small periodical to a cultural phenomenon that reaches the largest and most diverse audience for significant photography worldwide. By examining it's own history, Photography Past/Forward: Aperture at 50 explores the currents in photography that have brought the medium to its present status as one of the most important art forms, and arguably, the most powerful medium of communication. It also demonstrates how Aperture has shaped and furthered this evolution, expanding the international audience for photography.

A remarkable selection of images culled from every period of Aperture's history illuminate photography's ever-expanding ability to evince uncommon beauty and render subjects as diverse as landscape and portraiture to issues of international social concern, whether civil rights, AIDS, domestic abuse, freedoms of speech, environmental conservation, or mass migration, to name a few. Other selections will explore evolving photographic techniques that have allowed image-makers to push artistic boundaries, from Aperture's revival of the vintage photogravure process to current explorations in the digital realm.

With groundbreaking images by such early masters as Joseph Nicéphore Niépce and William Henry Fox Talbot to seminal figures in the history of the magazine including Paul Strand, Dorothea Lange, Minor White, Ansel Adams, Barbara Morgan, and Henri Cartier-Bresson, this lush publication traces the evolution of both the magazine and the photographers whose work has become an important part of its story. Long-time collaborators Sally Mann, Eugene Richards, Richard Misrach, Robert Adams, Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, and Mary Ellen Mark, among many others, have made a selection of recent work, which together with images and original spreads from past issues offer a dynamic view of the medium's breadth of focus and innovation.

Remaining true to Aperture's history of providing a vital sounding board for a vast community of thinkers on and practitioners of photography, Photography Past/Forward: Aperture at 50 is supplemented by texts-excerpted from Aperture issues #1 (1952) through #165 (2001)-in which a range of voices from Nancy and Beaumont Newhall to Danny Lyon, Madonna, and Arthur Danto expound theories, manifestos, musings, and critiques on a broad range of photography-related subjects.

Customer Reviews:

Gallery is great!.......2004-11-17

I saw this show in a gallery and I loved it! I bought the book so I could take the exhibit's beauty home with me.

A celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of "Aperture".......2002-12-10

Photography Past Forward is a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of "Aperture" magazine enhanced with the kind of visual imagery (excerpted from issues of Aperture ranging from 1952 to 2002) that Aperture is so closely identified with, and enhanced with a informative history of this world-class publisher by R. H. Cravens. The essence and mission of Aperture was to be a forum where serious photographers could communicate about the nature of their art. Visual and textual highlights from fifty years of sharing fill Photography Past Forward, which numerous select photographs - some in color, most in black and white - as well as quotes and articles offering timeless wisdom and advice to aspiring photographers everywhere. Photography Past Forward is a strongly recommended and memorable visual treat for all dedicated students and practitioners of the photographic arts.

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