I met and spent some time with Mary Ellen about 15 years ago and was invited to intern with her in New York. Unfortunately I was unable to do so due to finances and work, but we kept in touch until she died. She was a remarkable photographer. I do have a tiny quibble with how you define the street kids in 1980’s Seattle. I grew up in Seattle and in 1983 ran a newspaper called “Street Kids” which was published by another local paper as a resource to help young people find healthcare services, food and clothing. You describe the kids as “unhoused”but I would not describe these kids as homeless per se. The phrase “street kids” really was how they were seen. They chose to be there. More than homeless, they were discarded by their families or they discarded their families. There was no real homelessness in Seattle in the early 80’s like we think of and see now. Apartments were readily available and cheap. While these kids lived a hard, rough life, part of it was a choice. The paper I ran encouraged street kids to come in to our office and learn journalism as a trade. None of them were interested. They wanted to run the streets and so that’s what they did. It’s definitely complicated to describe these kids.
Thank you for sharing, Lane. I followed the guideline of how publications like Aperture wrote about this work, and Mark's own website which used the phrase "living on the streets of Seattle". Perhaps some were unhoused, others not so much. It's an interesting addition of nuance, thank you!
Got caught up with reading Mark's photo descriptions and looking at the photos, wow! Thanks for pointing our attention there/ to her work. It's marvellous! I love photography context like this SO much.
Searchword descriptions : shadows, pairs, round. I'd love to see if you have many photos of these things.
Love, love, love! Taking that connection and making it live on is what works for me. I keep trying with every frame to do just that. Thanks for sharing this. I love her work!
Very nice. I think her work assembled in her book "Falkland Road" is worthy of mention. Maybe the most uncomfortable I have been when reading a book. The captions are deeply disturbing, and combined with the photographs... Devastating.
It always brings to mind what my dad always said: "You do not pick where you are born". Remember that.
I met and spent some time with Mary Ellen about 15 years ago and was invited to intern with her in New York. Unfortunately I was unable to do so due to finances and work, but we kept in touch until she died. She was a remarkable photographer. I do have a tiny quibble with how you define the street kids in 1980’s Seattle. I grew up in Seattle and in 1983 ran a newspaper called “Street Kids” which was published by another local paper as a resource to help young people find healthcare services, food and clothing. You describe the kids as “unhoused”but I would not describe these kids as homeless per se. The phrase “street kids” really was how they were seen. They chose to be there. More than homeless, they were discarded by their families or they discarded their families. There was no real homelessness in Seattle in the early 80’s like we think of and see now. Apartments were readily available and cheap. While these kids lived a hard, rough life, part of it was a choice. The paper I ran encouraged street kids to come in to our office and learn journalism as a trade. None of them were interested. They wanted to run the streets and so that’s what they did. It’s definitely complicated to describe these kids.
Thank you for sharing, Lane. I followed the guideline of how publications like Aperture wrote about this work, and Mark's own website which used the phrase "living on the streets of Seattle". Perhaps some were unhoused, others not so much. It's an interesting addition of nuance, thank you!
Got caught up with reading Mark's photo descriptions and looking at the photos, wow! Thanks for pointing our attention there/ to her work. It's marvellous! I love photography context like this SO much.
Searchword descriptions : shadows, pairs, round. I'd love to see if you have many photos of these things.
Thanks Hanna! Those are good ones!
Love, love, love! Taking that connection and making it live on is what works for me. I keep trying with every frame to do just that. Thanks for sharing this. I love her work!
I’m not surprised :)
Looking forward to listening
Hope you enjoy :)
I'm gonna listen to the Dutch audio on my afternoon walk. Those photos are a real invitation in getting to know her work. Thanks
Glad to hear Marcel!
Very nice. I think her work assembled in her book "Falkland Road" is worthy of mention. Maybe the most uncomfortable I have been when reading a book. The captions are deeply disturbing, and combined with the photographs... Devastating.
It always brings to mind what my dad always said: "You do not pick where you are born". Remember that.
Ooh I’ll be sure to check out Sarah!