Prom: Photographs by Mary Ellen Mark Coming to the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Did you attend your high school’s prom and do you have the photos to prove it? 

Prom has been a pivotal part of the American culture for decades and acclaimed photographer Mary Ellen Mark documents the formal occasion in her latest collection titled Prom: Photographs by Mary Ellen Mark . The Philadelphia Museum of Art will be home to the exhibit starting July 1 running until October 28, 2012. Mark chronicles the coming of age of the American teenager with her Prom series.     

 Prom is a collection of 60 black and white photographs of teens in dressed in prom attire from 13 high schools across the country between 2006 and 2009. The photographs in Prom were all taken with a 20-by-24-inch Polaroid Land Camera, which makes large-format prints. Mark’s pictures represent not only geographic and demographic diversity, but a large variety of individuals of different body types, and personalities. 

Philadelphia Museum of Art is proud to be the first public exhibit of photographs from Mark’s Prom series. A 33-minute video entitled Prom, made by Mark’s husband, filmmaker Martin Bell will also be featured in the exhibit. The video captures interviews with many of the photographed teens giving a voice to the photos. 

Check this exhibit out with your friends and reminisce about your high school prom!  

Toccarra Baguma and George Wilkinson, New York City, 2007. Mary Ellen Mark (American b. 1940). Polaroid. 20 x 24 inches (61 x 50.8 cm). Image courtesy of the artist and © Mary Ellen Mark.

Kerry Murdoch and Matthew Costello, Brooklyn, New York, 2007. Mary Ellen Mark (American b. 1940). Polaroid. 20 x 24 inches (61 x 50.8 cm). Image courtesy of the artist and © Mary Ellen Mark.