Mary Ellen Mark, "Rat" and Mike with a Gun, Seattle
1983, gelatin silver print
In this image photographer, Mary Ellen Mark, subjects were two young men of the ages 16 and 17. This is one of the first exposures that she has in a series where she took photos of runaway kids who lived in the streets of Seattle. The images are very strong and impactful. There are various scenes in which kids are shown being injected with drugs, smoking cigarettes, and in engaging in activities such as prostitution. The image that I selected was the most impacting because throughout her series you can see she constantly follows the two young boys, "Rat" (left) and Mike (right). This photograph impacted me the most because growing up in South Central it was not uncommon to see young teens pick up a gun and join the dangerous life of being in gang. Mark did an impressive job to show how dangerous life can become to children that are not guided through the right path. As I looked at the image my eye naturally caught the attention of the gun due to it being the area of highest contrast. Then it moved along to see that it was not an adult who had the gun but a kid. It is also very important to note that the face of "Rat" is in extreme focus which makes you notice how young he is. The message that her photography sends is extremely impactful and this image alone shows how difficult it is to grow up in the situation these kids found themselves in.
