Tiny: Streetwise Revisited

In 1988, Mary Ellen Mark first published her poignant document of a fiercely independent group of homeless and troubled youth who made their way on the streets of Seattle as pimps, prostitutes, panhandlers, and small-time drug dealers. Streetwise received critical acclaim for its honest portrayal of life on the streets and introduced us to individuals who were not easily forgotten, including “Tiny” (Erin Charles)—a thirteen-year-old prostitute with dreams of a horse farm, diamonds and furs, and a baby of her own. Since meeting Tiny thirty years ago, Mark has continued to photograph her, creating what has become one of Mark’s most significant and long-term projects. Now forty-three, Tiny has ten children and her life has unfolded in unexpected ways, which together speak to issues of poverty, class, race, addiction, and other ongoing and pressing issues. Aperture is pleased to release a significantly expanded iteration of this classic monograph, presenting the iconic work of the first edition along with Mark’s moving and intimate body of work on Tiny, most of which is previously unpublished. Texts and captions are drawn from conversations between Tiny and Mary Ellen Mark, as well as with Mark’s husband, the filmmaker Martin Bell, who made the landmark film, Streetwise. Tiny: Streetwise Revisited provides a powerful education about one of the more complex sides of American life, as well as insight into the unique relationship sustained between artist and subject for over thirty years.