Mary Ellen Mark (1940- 2015) is one of the leading documentary photographers of the past half-century, and has achieved worldwide visibility through her many exhibitions, books, photo essays and portraits. Mark traveled extensively since her first trip to Turkey on a Fulbright Scholarship in 1965. Her pictures of diverse people and cultures are groundbreaking images in the documentary field.

Without a doubt one of the exhibitions not to be missed. The first global retrospective of the American photographer hosted at Les Rencontres de la Photographie, Arles, France, the presentation focuses on five of Mary Ellen Mark’s major bodies of works, notably women placed in institutions at the Oregon State Hospital, the street children of Seattle, and the sex workers of Mumbai among others. A moving image is a highlight, that of the Damm family, the outcast of the American dream.

“What I’m trying to do is make photographs that are universally understood… that cross cultural lines. I want my photographs to be about the basic emotions and feelings that we all experience,” the artist said about her work.

Mary Ellen Mark’s tenacity, compassion, and empathy were hallmarks of her working style. She gave her subjects a great deal of time and attention, sometimes going back to take repeated shots over several years, resulting in the development of deep relationships with many people. This show feels very emotional and poignant.

Famous magazines like Life, Vogue, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair frequently asked her to write stories for them at first; over time, these pieces became into personal endeavours which translates into this fantastic exhibition at the most important photo festival hosted in France.

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Images: The Mary Ellen Mark Foundation / Howard Greenberg Gallery