Sally Mann, What Remains

Sally Mann is one of the most influential photographers of the twentieth century, and her work is known internationally. Sally Mann began started to take interest in photography after her undergraduate and MA in creative writing. She quickly began to pursue photography seriously and created bodies of work which were involved in both galleries and publications. However, the work that brought Sally Mann to the public eye was unquestionably her Immediate Family series. This body of work consisted mainly of portraits of her young children. I remember when I first saw her pictures years ago, I was astounded by their emotional complexity and brooding atmosphere. When one thinks of child portraits, one does not expect such a high level of maturity and intricacy—but these photographs seem simple on the surface. These photographs were indicative of the reality of family life, yet transcendent. The compositions are carefully crafted, yet seem effortless in their execution. It is no wonder as to why this collection gained so much recognition, despite the controversy concerning her children in the nude.

It was also fascinating to see the range of her works in the film What Remains, because I had not previously known photographs other than Immediate Family. Despite the tendency to lose momentum after such success, Sally Mann continues to create interesting and meaningful work. It focused on one of her most recent exhibitions, Body Farm, which focused on death and decay. It is refreshing to see an artist who is constantly reinventing herself, proving herself over and over again as deserving of her reputation. Sally Mann is a remarkable photographer with both technical ability and conceptual complexity and relevance, one who will surely continue to create awe-inspiring photographs.