Mary Ellen Bartley: Reading Grey Gardens

Opening September 8 and on view through through October 15, The Drawing Room in East Hampton is pleased to present "Mary Ellen Bartley | Reading Grey Gardens." A longtime resident of Wainscott and a passionate bibliophile, Bartley is known for her penetrating photographs inspired by the physical and formal properties of books. In recent years her work has concentrated on single owner book collections and institutional libraries. This exhibition of 42 photographs is the first presentation of a vivid series that honors the haunting fragility of the personal 20th century library belonging to the storied Beale family.

Known for her mastery of natural light, Bartley approached this project with a documentary imperative, positioning each volume on a clinical grey background to focus her lens on the evidence of time and the salty humid air that blew through the house for decades. Many of the photographs highlight the charm of 20th century typography embossed on a spectrum of faded linen bindings. Others feature very personal doodles and figure drawings on interior pages that bring the family personalities alive. Under Bartley’s intense scrutiny the tattered bindings of ochre, grape, aqua and magenta seem to fall apart before our eyes.

See below for full press release.