Sally Mann is an American born artist who is largely recognised for her works in black & white photography. Mann's career ignited when she began photographing her young children and gradually she broadened her scope by branching off into photographing landscapes with undertones of death and decay.
I had not heard of the work of Sally Mann before watching a documentary based on her journey in photography, however, I was instantly drawn to her ability to capture the seemingly simple moments in life and turn them into everlasting images of profound power and beauty. One of my favourite pictures by Mann is 'At Warm Springs' 1991, from the collection Immediate Family....
One aspect of Sally Mann's career which I find intriguing is her past experiences with controversy surrounding her work. When Mann realised her series Immediate Family (1992) it featured 65 black and white photographs of her three children , all under the age of 10, spending their summer at the family's cabin along the river. Many of these photographs explored typical childhood activities such as skinny dipping in the river, playing dress-up's and board games and so on. However, upon the release of this series many slammed Mann for child pornography, one of Mann's images of her 4 year old daughter was censored with black bars over her eyes, nipples and pubic area. Mann responded to the controversy saying that these images reflect what mother sees in her children, mothers will see there children, sick, happy, sad, bloodied and even naked.
There will be peoples who look at these images and be shocked by the rawness and realness it reflects. however, myself & many others appreciate Mann's ability to capture the beauty, integrity and innocents of the human body,aspects of childhood and life.
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