Iceland remembers Mary Ellen Mark
Mary Ellen Mark photographed disabled children at two schools in Iceland for the period of a month, for her exhibition Extraordinary children. In the process she forged very special friendships. Rax / Ragnar Axelsson
World-famous photographer Mary Ellen Mark who died on Monday is mourned by many Icelandic friends. Mary Ellen had a special relationship with Iceland. "What is unique about Icelanders is that when you get to know them, you have a friend for life," she said.
Among the projects she took part in in Iceland was an exhibition and a book of photographs called Extraordinary Child, taken at Öskjuhlíðarskóli and Safamýrarskóli schools and the Lyngás centre for the disabled, in the fall and winter of 2006-2007.
"In late August 2005, Einar Falur Ingolfsson, photo editor of the Morgunblaðið Reykjavik, Iceland, assigned Mary Ellen Mark four photo stories. Mark insisted on shooting one of the stories at a school for disabled children, Öskjuhlíðarskóli. It was there, in a swimming pool, that Mark first met Alexander. They instantly hit it off.
Later that same day Mark went to the showroom of fashion designer Steinunn. Steinunn recognized Mark and asked what she was doing in Reykjavik. Mark told her she had just photographed at Öskjuhlíðarskóli, and had met an extraordinary 11 year old boy.
Steinunn asked what the boy’s name was.
Mark said, "Alexander."
Steinunn said, "Alexander is my son.""
And that is how the project Extraordinary Child was started. Mark's photographs ran in the Morgunblaðið newspaper and received a strong reaction from their readers. The director of the National Museum of Iceland, Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, called Mark and asked if she would return to Iceland and photograph their disabled children for the Museum. Martin Bell was also comissioned to make a short film. - See more HERE.
Here are a selection of photographs in memory of Mary Ellen Mark from the Morgunblaðið archives.
Photograph by Mary Ellen Mark from Extraordinary Children. Mbl.is/ Mary Ellen Mark
Mary Ellen Mark at Lyngás school with her friends Halli and Pétur.
Mary Ellen Mark's husband Martin Bell who did a documentary on Alexander, a disabled pupil at Öskjuhlíðarskóli.
Mary Ellen Mark with Lisen Stibeck and fashion designer Steinunn Sigurðardóttir in Iceland.
Mary Ellen Mark at sheep rounding in Miðfjarðarrétt, Iceland. Rax / Ragnar Axelsson
Mary Ellen Mark with photographer Páll Stefánsson at Miðjarðarrétt sheep rounding in Iceland. Rax / Ragnar Axelsson
