Object Details
Artist
Mary Ellen Mark
Date
1978
Medium
Dye transfer print Edition 10/15
Dimensions
Image: 18 3/4 × 12 3/16 inches (47.6 × 31 cm)
Sheet: 22 13/16 × 18 1/2 inches (57.9 × 47 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. Diana Wisdom and Gabriel Wisdom, in honor of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Class of 1954
Object
Number
2020.019.004
Mary Ellen Mark’s Falkland Road series was first turned down by a publication for being “(…)
Mary Ellen Mark’s Falkland Road series was first turned down by a publication for being “too explicit for the American market.” Mark’s photographs of sex workers go beyond the wooden exteriors of the infamous Kamathipura “cages” to glimpse the intimate daily life of these women—from getting ready for work, resting, or cleaning to soliciting passersby; with clients, or their children and pets, visiting a cafe and a photo studio.
The women clasp hands; Lata has her other hand over Asha’s shoulder as she seems to bite her cheek, an expression of intimate and playful friendship. Clad only in petticoats, hair neatly plaited and ribboned, bejeweled—they are getting dressed for work or leisure. Asha has a bright pink rose tucked into her hair and wears lipstick.
Although Mark’s photos do not reveal much about their agency, these women relied on strong bonds for solidarity and protection. Within the larger ecosystem of the neighborhood, some of these women were considered influential figures in liaison with the local mafia. The sex workers of Kamathipura have been featured in many Hindi films and as part of sex-research tourism, HIV/AIDS surveillance measures, anti-trafficking, and violent police raids.
—Ayesha Matthan, PhD candidate
