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| Untitled, At Twelve Series (Sherry and Granny), 1951. | 8x10in. |
What I like about this photograph in particular is the light on the skin. While the detail in the image is quite soft, the light accentuates the skin and brings it to the attention of the viewer. The shadow detail on the skin and the way the light moves from dark to light is something I would like to accomplish.
Contextualise and image:
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| Candy Cigarette. Large format 8x10. 1969. |
Who took the photograph and why?
-Sally Mann, it is debatable what the exact reasoning behind this work. Many think it is most likely a show of a girl trying to grow up too fast, trying to do things out of her age range. Many of her works allude to darker and more serious themes such as loss, sexuality, loneliness and death.
What is their ethnicity and does this influence the work?
-An American photographer that is best well known for her black and white photography with somewhat darker themes. In the beginning, she photographed her children, they weren't the usual portraits that you think of in terms of children photography, many of them were nude and some were in compromising positions. This could allude to something that was going on at that time or something that touched her in some way. It's quite hard to find information on her motives for the photographs.
When and where did they take this photo?
-1969. Their family farm. 400 acre area. Many of her works were taken here, Sally Mann was just as interested in photographing the environment around her children's upbringing as she was with photographing them. It also meant the children were more comfortable, especially with the nude photographs, at home, many children during that time and nowadays, will run around with little to no clothes on. It's not exactly an unusual occurrence, I've seen it around my house. It's just that not everyone will photograph that kind of scene. For Sally Mann, she saw inspiration in her children playing and running around in little clothes. I think, in terms of time, it was more socially acceptable for children to run around without clothes on during that time. Especially when they had an entire farm, that included a stream amongst other things.
What are their political beliefs and are these relevant to the work?
-Ex hippies, they grow much of their own food and Larry (her husband) walks home from work at lunch time almost every day. Her father was an athiest, so she was most likely brought up with similar views. Sally Mann opposes the norm, her photographs are not always accepted by society. So. I guess it does have an effect on her work, her differing religious upbringing would have affected her political views and therefore would have somewhat of an effect on her artwork.
What is their social status and background and how does this relate to their subject matter?
-She was very much a family person- from what I've read- and in photographing her children she was basically documenting their upbringing. The more controversial images, such as the nudity and injuries. They weren't poor, more of a middle ground, but she brought her children up to have the attitude of 'higher class' citizens. It was because of this that the children were so open and okay with their photographs being taken, they saw it as art, knew it was art and nothing more. Sally Mann did make an attempt to keep the nude and somewhat embarrassing photographs out of their home town, so that the children could leave somewhat normal lives at home. As Sally Mann challenged what was 'right' in society, her status was very much influential in her works.
In what decade or century was the work taken? Does this influence your reading of the work?
-Taken in the 1960's, it definitely reads differently now than what it would have then. It's still a controversial piece, it always has been, but it is easier to see it as art in this day and age. Sally Mann would still face the same social problems she would have during that time, the photographs are controversial and seen by some as borderline pornographic. Nude photographs, they aren't as frowned upon as they would have been during that time. The world is changing and even in the last forty years since that photo was taken, the world is a much different place. When I look at her works, I don't see it as child pornography because I know her connection to the children. This photograph in particular would still be controversial because it is not accepted that children of her age should be smoking, I think it's possibly worse now as there are more people trying to stop those that are old enough and have made the choice to take up the habit.
Were there events happening at the time that may have influenced this work?
-I'm not too sure, I think it was a culmination of her own upbringing and her found inspiration in documenting her children's upbringing that influenced her work. It is possible that this picture holds relevance to something that was happening at the time, but it is also possible that all she was doing was challenging what was normal and accepted in society at the time.
How is the work presented?
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Where are you viewing this work and how does this affect your reading of it?
- I have viewed this in a book before, but right now I'm looking at it on a computer screen. The colours change, the brightness of the screen and the computers settings do alter how the image looks. Having seen both a digital and hard copy of the image I can say there is a difference, it's minimal and mostly colour related. I prefer looking at it in the book, there's something about holding a book filled with artwork, looking at things on the internet just isn't the same.
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