David Kanoa James

2/15/11

Sally Mann review

            I’m not entirely sure how to take this video. I’m sure that most of the right wing conservatives will already make a judgment without my input so my opinion is somewhat mute on the subject. However I guess some reflection might better help me piece together what the HBO special depicted to me. 

To be honest I was shocked. Very shocked. I like to conceder myself incredibly open-minded. I listen to dubbstep and country music and even Ke$ha. I like all kinds of art except modern and really appreciate even the sunset. However, when faced with some of Sally Mann’s work, I was just appalled.  I understand that children are beautiful and some of her photos with her work in Immediate Family are absolutely phenomenal. It’s the kind of work that I know I will never be able to recreate or even come close to being on a level with. As an artist Sally Mann is amazing. It’s a simple fact. However, it cannot be denied that she is somewhat weird.

Throughout the video I drew a lot of correlations between her at 50 and my high school girlfriend. Not that that’s anything bad, but it’s just the truth. She seemed sheltered and generally oblivious to the way the other half lives. She was distant, and very out there. Just ask yourself a simple question, “Would your mother ask you to strip naked at any point in your life after the age of eight?” No, chances are she wouldn’t.

However, I would like to comment on the amount of idiots claiming that the photos are child porn. Are you serious? What about any of these photos are sexual? They are kids playing in water and having fun on a farm. Sure lots of the photos are manufactured and I’m sure there is some guy in a basement somewhere who has all the photos on his computer but do you really think that was the intent of the mother? I find it hard to believe that anyone looking for child porn would think to look up a fine artist like Sally Mann.

That being said I am on the side of the fence that claims that Sally Mann is not a child pornographer. There is not a doubt in my mind.

Something that she commented on after completing her Immediate Family is that she felt like she could never top that work. I’m sure all artists come to a point in their lives where the make the best possible piece of work they can. It’s the piece they are known by. So how do you move on from that? How do you top that? There is not answer to that question. But as an artist you owe it to yourself to always try to answer it.