Garrett Hollowell - Sally Mann

I think people rage way too much about Sally Mann's work. She was a mom who photographed her kids being kids and let them decide whether she could use the photos or not. It doesn't seem like she was exploiting her kids like critics say, she was involving them in her work, and what kid doesn't like to help out their parents and have fun at the same time. When she took pictures of her kids bruises, it's not like she was bruising them and photographing it, they'd just get hurt like farm kids tend to. So when people judge her and say that she shouldn't photograph hurt kids since they think it glorifies child abuse or some outlandish stretch like that, they seem to not understand that kids get hurt and she's just showing it. What really grinds my gears though is all these articles and critics saying that her work is pornographic and overly sexual and whatnot. She was a mom photographing her kids. The intimacy in the photos isn't sexual just cause they're nude, the intimacy is that between mother and child. Mann brought those kids into this world nude, so what if she wants some to make some innocent photos of them nude. It shows the connection and trust between family, not Sally exploiting her naked kids for fame. That isn't to say she gained nothing out of the photos, however. In 2001, she was awarded "America’s Best Photographer" by Time magazine. With this fame came even more backlash, but as time's marched on it seems as if more and more are accepting Mann's work. I think it has a lot to do with the progressive nature that the nation is moving in. And if what Eric said in class is true, which is that many art gallery goers were more conservative leaning back in the 90's, then it makes sense that as art has become more widespread and easy access more and more progressive thinkers would have something to say about Mann's photography. Honestly though, I think the perception of Mann's photos comes less down to the progressiveness of the viewer, and more so on just the overall maturity of the viewer. Unlike what people were saying when the photos first came out, where they believed that if you were ok with them than you were a pedo, I think it's pretty much the opposite. If you can handle simply seeing nudity without immediately sexualizing the subject, you're clearly much more mature than someone who sees a nipple and screams bloody murder. All in all, I think Sally Mann didn't cross any boundaries and that those who say otherwise need to grow up.

Citations

Cohen, Alina. “Why Sally Mann's Photographs of Her Children Can Still Make Viewers Uncomfortable.” Artsy, Artsy, 4 Jan. 2018, www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-sally-mann-s-photographs-children-viewers-uncomfortable.

Woodward, Richard B. “The Disturbing Photography of Sally Mann.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Jan. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/magazine/the-disturbing-photography-of-sally-mann.html.

Ghorashi, Hannah. “'I Was Blinded By The Controversy': Sally Mann Publishes An Excerpt From Her Forthcoming Memoir -.” ARTnews, 17 Apr. 2015, www.artnews.com/2015/04/17/i-was-blinded-by-the-controversy-sally-mann-publishes-an-excerpt-from-her-forthcoming-memoir/.