Monday, August 6, 2018

Artist of the day, August 6: Mark Laita, American photographer

In America, the chasm between rich and poor is growing, the clash between conservatives and liberals is strengthening, and even good and evil seem more polarized than ever before. At the heart of this collection of portraits is the desire to remind us that we were all equal, until our environment, circumstances or fate molded and weathered us into whom we have become. Photographer Mark Laita completed Created Equal over the course of eight years; reflecting the striking polarizations found in his photographs. The images explore social, economic and gender difference and similarity within the United States, emulating.

Mark Laita (1960) is born in Detroit and was raised by lithuanian parents. His mother was a model and his father worked in GM’s styling department. His family moved to Chicago when Mark was ten where he discovered photography and began assisting commercial photographers after high school he attended northern Illinois university, university of Illinois and columbia college. Where mark received a BA in photography.

After college, Mark worked as a commercial photographer in Chicago for two years before moving to Los Angeles in 1986. There Mark built a reputation for award-winning work for a long list of clients. His photography was featured in campaigns for clients as diverse as Adidas, Mercedes-benz. Visa, Van Cleef and Arpels. For ten years apple computer used Mark’s photography in the campaigns to introduce apple’s iMac, iPod and other computer devices. He was also selected to shoot the campaign to introduce BMW’s mini in 2001.

In 2010, Stiedl published Mark’s first book of non-commercial work, “Created Equal”, which was an eight year long, cross-country project featuring portraits of americans from a wide array of cultures, occupations and backgrounds.

© 2018. All images are copyrighted © by Mark Laita. The use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained.



Mr Mark Laita


Amish Teenagers - Punk Teeneagers

Astronaut - Alien Abductee

Auto Mechanic - Etiquette Teacher

Ballerina - Boxer

Ballerina - Trucker

Bank Robber - Deputies

Baptist Churchgoer - White Supremacist

Baptist Minister - Ko Klux Klan

Barber - Beauty salon employee

Beauty Pageant Contestant - Topless Dancer

Beauty Salon Customer - Man with Curlers

Bodybuilder - Amish Farmer

Bullrider - Rock Musician

Catholic Nuns - Prostitutes

CEO - Messenger

Chain Gang - Cheerleader Squad

Coal Miners - Male Exotic Dancers

College Graduate - High School Dropout

Company President - Janitor

County Fair Livestock Show Contestant - Cajun Man

Cowboy - Indian

Debutante - Parolee

Dishwasher - Cafe visitor

Female Body Builder - Drag Queen

Fitness Model - Heart Surgery Patient

French chef - Short order cook

Gang Member - Mafioso

Homeless - Real Estate Agent

Homeless Man - Real Estate Developer

Indigent Couple - Wealthy Couple

Lingerie Model - Woman in Girdle

Little Boxer - Retired Boxer

Mariachis - Elvis Impersonators

Marine - War Veteran

Motorcycle Gang - Altar Boys

Narcotics dealer - drug addict

Newlyweds - married old-timers

Philosophy Professor - Auto Mechanic

Physician Assisted Suicide Patient - Holocaust Survivor

Poligamist with Wifes - Pimp with Prostitutes

Residents of North - Nudist

Rock Band - Polka Band

Rock Musician - Bullrider

Showgirl - Librarian

Slop Machine Player - Repo Man                  

     Southerner - Hassidic Jew

                  Subway musician  - Musician from a brass band

Sunbather - Swimmer    

               Trapper - Women with Dog

Vegetarian - Butcher     

Young Ballerina - Go-Go Dancer  

Young man with boom box - People dropped                    

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