the first photo is by artist Mary Ellen Mark. it is the first in a series called Ward 81, in which Mark went to Oregon Psychiatric State Hospital and documented the life of patients there, all women. Her style is simplistic, focusing on the space of the ward rather than the cruel intimacy. Her photographs are wide and spacious, funny and beautiful. As someone who has also been hospitalized due to mental illness, I found these images important and this one especially striking.
the second photo is by hailed young photographer, Petra Collins from her series titled The Teenage Gaze where she looked to explore the details of being a twenty first century teenage girl. The photos are fluorescent and colorful, capturing girls in mirrors or reflected among each other. I chose this photo because though it is not as aesthetically pleasing as her other work, it is possibly the realest. I imagine the call a teenage girl, buzzed at the party, ignores. I know guilt will follow.
the last photo is one from photographer Chadwick Tyler from one of his two series, God's People. It focuses on the drama of nothing. The portraits are gritty and untouched. I saw this photo a few months ago and find myself coming back to it. It is a perfect portrait of America. The escapism is evident and almost overwhelming. It gives me a sense of longing. Is there anything else? What else would there be?
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