Sally Mann Post #8
Good evening,
Sally Mann is one of America’s most renowned photographers.
She uses a variety of processes and equipment to make images, including shooting with black
and white large format cameras to wet plate collodion tintypes (Rexer, 137). In the section,
Troubling Images: Don’t Look Now, Rexer places the controversial explicitness on an equal
platform to those of Robert Mapplethorpe. Rexer describes how they, amongst others, have,
“...provoked varying degrees of out-rage and pushback, most often from critics but sometimes
from legal authorities, which is when people outside the narrow confines of the art world take
notice” (94). Rexer acknowledges the conversation surrounding her work.
and white large format cameras to wet plate collodion tintypes (Rexer, 137). In the section,
Troubling Images: Don’t Look Now, Rexer places the controversial explicitness on an equal
platform to those of Robert Mapplethorpe. Rexer describes how they, amongst others, have,
“...provoked varying degrees of out-rage and pushback, most often from critics but sometimes
from legal authorities, which is when people outside the narrow confines of the art world take
notice” (94). Rexer acknowledges the conversation surrounding her work.
Her most successful and most controversial year was the year her third collection of photographs,
Immediate Family, came out. Her images raised many questions, most notably on the topic of
her children and nudity, as her images pushed the buttons of her viewers.Concerns arose around
her reasons for photographing her children in this way; if she had poor intentions. From being
accused of being a bad mother to being careless with images that could attract pedophiles, the
heart of the controversy lies within this NY Times article with a quote from the San Diego
Tribune, “It May Be Art, but What About the Kids?” (Woodward).
Immediate Family, came out. Her images raised many questions, most notably on the topic of
her children and nudity, as her images pushed the buttons of her viewers.Concerns arose around
her reasons for photographing her children in this way; if she had poor intentions. From being
accused of being a bad mother to being careless with images that could attract pedophiles, the
heart of the controversy lies within this NY Times article with a quote from the San Diego
Tribune, “It May Be Art, but What About the Kids?” (Woodward).
Mann wanted to make sure her kids had power over, and understood the implications, of the
photographs. She took them to a psychologist to discuss the meanings of the photographs with
them, and gave them veto power over images they didn't want seen. "You know what they're
really worried about?" asks Mann incredulously. "They don't want to look like dorks. They don't
want to be geeks or dweebs. Nudity doesn't bother them." (Woodward), as her son chose to omit
a photo of him with socks on his hands. With the consent of her children, Mann released the
photos of Immediate Family to the world.
photographs. She took them to a psychologist to discuss the meanings of the photographs with
them, and gave them veto power over images they didn't want seen. "You know what they're
really worried about?" asks Mann incredulously. "They don't want to look like dorks. They don't
want to be geeks or dweebs. Nudity doesn't bother them." (Woodward), as her son chose to omit
a photo of him with socks on his hands. With the consent of her children, Mann released the
photos of Immediate Family to the world.
Accusations came in, the ones that hurt Mann the most were those saying she was a bad mother
in some way for releasing these images, to which she responded, “For all the righteous concern
people expressed about the welfare of my children, what most of them failed to understand was
that taking those pictures was an act separate from mothering” (Mann, New York Times). While
Mann viewed the photos as snippets of time, which were only fragments of time, that didn't
stop people from seeing them as an exhibition of her family life, and less about the freedom
and innocence of youth as they struggled to see the disconnect. Jessie, Mann’s older daughter,
was able to distinguish the difference between her presentation in photographs versus herself
in real life. A friend asked her about a dress she was trying on for a gallery event,
in some way for releasing these images, to which she responded, “For all the righteous concern
people expressed about the welfare of my children, what most of them failed to understand was
that taking those pictures was an act separate from mothering” (Mann, New York Times). While
Mann viewed the photos as snippets of time, which were only fragments of time, that didn't
stop people from seeing them as an exhibition of her family life, and less about the freedom
and innocence of youth as they struggled to see the disconnect. Jessie, Mann’s older daughter,
was able to distinguish the difference between her presentation in photographs versus herself
in real life. A friend asked her about a dress she was trying on for a gallery event,
“Jessie, I don’t get it. Why on earth would you care if someone can see your chest through the
armholes when you are going to be in a room with a bunch of pictures that show that same bare
chest?”
armholes when you are going to be in a room with a bunch of pictures that show that same bare
chest?”
Jessie was equally perplexed at the friend’s reaction: “Yes, but that is not my chest. Those are
photographs.”
photographs.”
There is much more to Mann’s photography than Immediate Family; however, these are the images that
resonate most with her photographic career. Having already been an accomplished photographer, her
images were not about exploitation or to gain fame; rather, to look around her and use her life as a
mother to capture images that cause viewers to reveal their own fears and spark discussion, which
is exactly what great art does.
resonate most with her photographic career. Having already been an accomplished photographer, her
images were not about exploitation or to gain fame; rather, to look around her and use her life as a
mother to capture images that cause viewers to reveal their own fears and spark discussion, which
is exactly what great art does.
All images below from sallymann.com
Sally Mann. (n.d.). Retrieved June 06, 2020, from https://www.sallymann.com/
Mann, S. (2015, April 16). Sally Mann's Exposure. Retrieved June 06, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/magazine/the-cost-of-sally-manns-exposure.html
Woodward, R. B. (1992, September 27). The Disturbing Photography of Sally Mann. Retrieved June 06, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/27/magazine/the-disturbing-photography-of-sally-mann.html
Why was Sally Mann's Immediate Family so controversial? (2020, February 22). Retrieved June 06, 2020, from https://publicdelivery.org/sally-mann-immediate-family/
Ghorashi, H. (2019, November 18). 'I Was Blinded By The Controversy': Sally Mann Publishes An Excerpt From Her Forthcoming Memoir. Retrieved June 06, 2020, from https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/i-was-blinded-by-the-controversy-sally-mann-publishes-an-excerpt-from-her-forthcoming-memoir-3951/
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