NewPhotographyBookbyMaryEllenMark

PROM 

CriticallyAcclaimedDocumentaryPhotographerCapturesAnAmericanRiteofPassageinStunningDetail

BookincludesaDVDofthefilm“Prom”byMartinBell

Allphotographs©MaryEllenMark

Captionsclockwisefromtopright:JasmineLewisandRichardSalgado,SaintMichaelAcademy,NewYorkCity,May16,2007;SamanthaMonteandKhalilSamad,TottenvilleHighSchool,StatenIsland,NewYork,June16,2006;MichaelGonzalesandVeronicaCastillo,MacArthurSeniorHighSchool,Houston,May9,2008;WillMattimoeandJaneMattimoe,CharlottesvilleHighSchool,Charlottesville,Virginia,April26,2008.

Thehighschoolprom,perhapsthemostimportantsocialeventofateenager’slife,isoneofAmerica’smostanticipatedritesofpassage.Prom,anewphotographybookbytheinternationallyrecognizeddocumentaryphotographerMaryEllenMark,celebratesthisimportantritualofyouth.Althoughthetraditionsoffindingtheperfectoutfitandtheperfectdateforthisformaloccasionremainmuchthesameastheyhavesincethe1950s,today’spromincorporatesindividualisticclothing,same‐sexdates,highsecurity,andteenpregnancy.InProm,MaryEllenMarktakesanunvarnishedstarklookatdozensofyoungwomenandmenfromadiverserangeofbackgroundsonthismemorablenightintheirlives.Prom(GettyPublications,$49.95,164pages,10x12¾inches,129colorillustrations,ISBN978‐1‐60606‐108‐4)willbepublishedinApril2012.“I’vealwaysbeeninterestedinphotographingtraditionsandcustoms—especiallyinAmerica,”writesMaryEllenMarkintheprefacetoProm.“I’vekeptseveralphotographsfrommyhighschooldays.Theonethathas

intriguedmethemostismyownprompicture.ThereIam,myhairinaperfectpageboy,wearingpearlsandhighheels.I’minabeautifulwhitedresswithpinkflowers.Ihaveacorsageandagoldbraceletonmywrist.BehindmeisStuart,mypromdate.Hehasawhitejacketandaperfectlittlebowtie.Bothofushavebighopefulsmiles.Wewerefacingourperfectfutures.Theworldwasours—orsowethought.”From2006to2009,MaryEllenMarktraveledacrosstheUnitedStatestophotographprom‐goersat13schools—parochial,privateandpublic—fromNewYorkCitytoHoustontoLosAngeles.FromherownalmamaterinPhiladelphiatoasuburbanenclaveinAustintoinner‐cityNewark,MarkworkedwithararePolaroid20x24LandCameraandsomeofthelastremainingstockofPolaroid‐manufactured20x24instantfilmtocreatethiscaptivatingdocument.Mark’shusband,thefilmmakerMartinBell,collaboratedwithherontheprojecttoproduceanddirectafilm,alsocalledProm,whichfeaturesinterviewswiththestudentsabouttheirlives,dreams,andhopesforthefuture.Quotations—bothhumorousandheartfelt—fromthestudentinterviewsappearthroughoutthebook,andaDVDofthefilmispackagedwiththebook.TheresultisarevealingdocumentofAmericanyouthatthebeginningofthe21stcentury.Oneofthecouplespicturedinthebook,privateschoolstudentsMattGrazianoandStefanieSaperstein,attendedtheirHarvard‐WestlakeSchoolprominLosAngelesonMay17,2008,andcommentedontheiranticipationoftheevent.Matt:“She’sbeenwaitingforthismomentforfouryears.She’sbeendreamingaboutit.”Stefanie:“No,sinceIwasababy.”MemorialSloan‐KetteringCancerCenterinNewYorkCityholdsayearlypromforpatientsinthepediatricward.AthercelebrationonMay17,2009,AshleyConrad,lookedtoherfuture:“Iwouldliketogetmarried.Imean,whatgirldoesn’t?Thefairy‐taleweddingisalwayssomethingthateverylittlegirldreamsof,gettingabigwhitedressandlookingbeautiful.Anditwouldbewonderful.”

Fortheinner‐cityMalcolmXShabazzHighSchoolprominNewark,NewJersey,onMay18,2006,manyofthefemalestudentschoselocaldesignerstomaketheircustomdresses.“Ihadmydressdesignedbecausepromisaonce‐in‐a‐lifetimething,”saidTaneyaHammer.Anotherstudentattheschool,DonaldR.Lewis,Jr.,wasmoreconcernedabouthisenvironment:“Wherewegrewupdefinitelyisnotpeacefulatall.There’salotofviolenceinthestreetsthere,soIwoulddefinitelynotrecommendbringinganykidsup,eventhoughIwasraisedthereandIturnedoutfine.Youjustcan’tlivethehoodout;basicallyyoujusthavetochangehow,whoyouare.”

MeghanConnolly,attheCheltenhamHighSchoolprominWyncote,Pennsylvania,onJune6,2006,said,“Theworstthingabouthighschoolisthedrama.Wearealljustabunchofteenagerswhowanttokilleachother.”AttheTottenvilleHighSchoolprominStatenIsland,NewYorkonJune16,2006,SamanthaMontesaidaboutherdateKhalilSamad:“Thebestthingthathappenedtousinhighschoolwasbeingnominatedascutestcouple.Unfortunately,wedidn’twin.”

AshleyConrad,MemorialSloan‐KetteringCancerCenter,NewYorkCity,May17,2009

TaneyaHammer,MalcolmXShabazzHighSchool,Newark,NewJersey,May18,2006

“MaryEllenMarkisoneofthegreatdocumentaryphotographersofourtime,”observesBrettAbbott,CuratorofPhotographyattheHighMuseumofArt.“Plumbingthebasiccommonalityofhumanexperience,shehasreportedonthestateoftheworld’ssocialenvironmentsformorethanfourdecades.Promshowsherattheheightofhercareer,withpowerfullytenderworkthatspeakstooneofthediverseandunifyingculturalritualsassociatedwithgrowingupinAmerica.”AddsMartinZ.MarguliesofTheMarguliesCollectionattheWarehouse,Miami,“MaryEllenMarkisoneoftheoutstandingAmericanphotographersdepictingthehumancondition.AtrueAmericanartistwhohasdedicatedherlifetophotography,sheranksasoneofthebest.”Promwasphotographedatthefollowingschools:MalcolmXShabazzHighSchool,Newark,NewJersey,May18,2006;CheltenhamHighSchool,Wyncote,Pennsylvania,June6,2006;TottenvilleHighSchool,StatenIsland,NewYork,June16,2006;SaintMichaelAcademy,NewYorkCity,May16,2007;FontbonneHallAcademy,Brooklyn,NewYork,May25,2007;RiverviewSchool,CapeCod,Massachusetts,June16,2007;CharlottesvilleHighSchool,Charlottesville,Virginia,April26,2008;MacArthurSeniorHighSchool,Houston,Texas,May9,2008;WestlakeHighSchool,Austin,Texas,May10,2008;PalisadesCharterHighSchool,PacificPalisades,California,May16,2008;Harvard‐WestlakeSchool,LosAngeles,California,May17,2008;IthacaHighSchool,Ithaca,NewYork,June21,2008;andMemorialSloan‐KetteringCancerCenter,NewYorkCity,May17,2009.

MaryEllenMarkhasachievedworldwidevisibilitythroughherbooks,exhibitions,andeditorialmagazinework.SheisacontributingphotographertotheNewYorkerandhaspublishedphoto‐essaysandportraitsinLife,NewYorkTimesMagazine,RollingStone,andVanityFair.HerbooksincludeSeenBehindtheScene:FortyYearsofPhotographingontheSet(Phaidon,2008),Exposure(Phaidon,2006),andTwins(Aperture,2005).Promisher18thbook.HerphotographsareinthepermanentcollectionsoftheClevelandMuseumofArt;CorcoranGalleryofArt;GeorgeEastmanHouse;InternationalCenterofPhotography;J.PaulGettyMuseum;LosAngelesCountyMuseumofArt;TheMuseumofFineArts,Houston;NationalPortraitGallery;PhiladelphiaMuseumofArt;andtheWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt,amongothers.

MartinBellisafilmmakerwhosedocumentaryStreetwise(1985)wasnominatedforanAcademyAward.HehasdirectednarrativefeaturesfilmsincludingAmericanHeart(1992)starringJeffBridgesandHiddeninAmerica(1996),featuringbothBeauandJeffBridges.HehascollaboratedwithMaryEllenMarkonseveralprojectsincludingCircusofDreams(1993),Twins(2004),andAlexander(2006).Hisongoingfilmproject,ANewYorkStory,aimstocapturetheenergyandresilienceofNewYorkCitysinceSeptember11,2001.Aboutthe20x24CameraAllofthephotographsinPromwereshotwitha20x24PolaroidLandCameraonPolaroidfilm.AstheeraofPolaroidwasrapidlycomingtoanend,Markhadtoactquicklybeforethefilmwasdiscontinued.Thereareonlysevenoftheselargeformatinstantcamerasextantintheworld–fiveofwhichareinuse.MaryEllenMarkhas

LucasNathanandGraceBush‐Vineberg,PalisadesCharterHighSchool,PacificPalisades,California,May16,2008

TimBlackwellandKellyHayden,WestlakeHighSchool,Austin,Texas,May10,2008

beenworkingwiththe20x24cameraformorethan15yearsandforthePromprojectsheusedtwoofthem—onebasedinSanFrancisco,theotherinNewYork.Thelargeformatinstantcamerarequiresspeciallyqualifiedtechnicianstooperateit.Asofmid‐2009,20x24Studiohadrescuedtheremainingstockof20x24Polaroidfilmcomponentsandtheuniqueproductionequipmentneededtospoolandpackageit.Althoughsuppliesarelimited,20x24Studioiscurrentlyresearchingwaystokeepthistechnologyaliveformanyyearstocome.

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