Immediate Family (1984-1992)
Sally Mann (01.05.1951)
The photo shows three children. First of all, the emphasis falls on a teenage girl in a white dress, with a «cigarette». She is practically in the center of the photo. A direct look into the camera, talking about self-confidence — real or fake (audacity, willingness to challenge).
The pictures shows Sally Man’s children: Emmett, Jesse and Virginia.
A dark forest, a road going into darkness, a bright gap in the sky on the right. The feeling of late evening. The physical installation of photography seems mundane and local. This simplicity and naturalness of the environment emphasize the naivety of children and, at the same time, the contrast with the adult themes that they symbolize.
Photography draws attention to how children can be involved in adult scenarios, even in the most innocent forms, and this raises disturbing questions about education and the impact of society on the younger generation.
The second element of the photo is a boy standing on stilts, which seems to be a symbol of the age boundary between childhood and adulthood. He tries to be taller, which can be interpreted as a step towards adulthood and adult independence.
The third element — a girl standing with her back to us, adds mystery to the photo. Her lack of attention to the observer may indicate the idea that many aspects of adult life may remain hidden or inaccessible to children.
There is a feeling that in a second this harmony, this state may collapse – the girl on the right will run away or the boy will jump off the stilts, the interrupted game will continue.
The photo was created in 1989. The viewers of this photo could be both professional artists and photographers interested in art, and the general public, which is designed to provoke reflection, discussion and ask questions about the fine line between childhood and adulthood, as well as the impact that society has on children. Thinking about education, about what values and ideals we pass on to children.
Creating a similar photo in our time could cause even more excitement among the audience.
Today, strong attention is paid to the discussion of the harm of smoking to health. Creating a photo with a «candy cigarette» could serve to discuss health and lifestyle issues, especially among teenagers.
The collection “Close Relatives», containing 65 photos of Sally’s three children, who at that time were not even in their first decade, really gave Mann fame.
Sally Mann put more philosophical thoughts and arguments “about the eternal» there.
The New Republic magazine gave a very flattering review of this collection, writing the following: ”This is one of the greatest photo books.” However, negative reviews from various religious and secular organizations caused a greater resonance. After all, in some of the photos, children played and swam in a completely naked form. Then Sally Mann was accused of promoting child pornography.
Despite her disregard for the canons of aesthetics, Sally Mann remains a great photographer of the United States of America. In 2001, according to Time magazine, she even received the nomination “America’s Best Photographer».
Her works are kept in the most famous museums of different countries. With such a difficult, peculiar character, Mann achieved full recognition from the audience.
Images to take from: https://eurasia-photo.com/14565-salli-mann
List of references
Botescu-Sireteanu, Ileana. «Rewriting Girlhood. Ambiguous Bodies in Contemporary American Visual Arts: Sally Mann’s At Twelve.» University of Bucharest Review. Literary and Cultural Studies Series 11 (1), 89-101, 2021.
Pierpont, H.A. (2021). «Mothers Behind Cameras: Mother-Artist, Mother-Child Dyads In Sally Mann’s Immediate Family And Elinor Carucci’s Mother.»
Sally Mann, Ayelet Carmi, «Woman’s Art Journal 40 (2), 24-33, 2019»
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