Mary Ellen Mark’s Ward 81 series shows images from 1976 in a women’s security ward at the Oregon State Mental Institution. In the black and white image shown above, a laughing young woman hugs another woman showing a grimace, but seemingly joking. In the background is a window, blocked by metal bars. The women in the ward must have all been through severe trauma, and so having a friend like these two have seems almost necessary to heal in this clinical and sad environment. The image is a symbol of hope – the women can love and laugh while still trapped.
Ellen Mark, Mary. Ward 81. 1976. http://www.maryellenmark.com/books/titles/ward_81/300B-026-13A_ward81_520.html