Spring Break
The Loss Of Innocence
in EntertainmentIssue date: 4/21/05
Whether it be taking photos of half-naked children in suggestive poses, viewing late night television shows featuring live abortions, writing misogynist stories depicting rape and torture of young girls or eating babies for the sake of performance rituals, using children for the sake of art usually equals some sort of controversy.
Children are known as the most innocent of beings. When a child dies or goes missing, the community and media response is usually much greater than that of an adult. For as long as time, involving children in deviant acts has always been the biggest taboo. Not only is it considered morally wrong, but it may get you on Perverted-Justice.com or even in prison. This is why, when someone such as Sally Mann photographs her own children in ways deemed inappropriate by the vast majority of society, it doesn't go unnoticed.
When one thinks of child photography, we are reminded of JCPenney Portrait Studio commercials and The Picture People outlets found in malls across the country. However, for Virginia-based, professional photographer Sally Mann, her children's portraits look more like damaged 19th century exploitation pictorials. Using a vintage large-format 8x10 camera and various scratched lenses, Mann was able to create rich black-and-white photos that once seen, will forever be ingrained in the minds of viewers.
Mann's third collection, Immediate Family, released in 1992, featured her three young children posing nude in various surreal, disturbing images. Not disturbing because they were spread eagle or anything, but because the looks on their faces captured their lost innocence and the emotions of knowing their whole childhood would come crashing down with the start of puberty. These images led to many religious and right-wing groups condemning her work and calling her a child pornographer and pedophile. Many conservative critics boycotted galleries in which her work was featured and tried to stop her public showings.
Children are known as the most innocent of beings. When a child dies or goes missing, the community and media response is usually much greater than that of an adult. For as long as time, involving children in deviant acts has always been the biggest taboo. Not only is it considered morally wrong, but it may get you on Perverted-Justice.com or even in prison. This is why, when someone such as Sally Mann photographs her own children in ways deemed inappropriate by the vast majority of society, it doesn't go unnoticed.
When one thinks of child photography, we are reminded of JCPenney Portrait Studio commercials and The Picture People outlets found in malls across the country. However, for Virginia-based, professional photographer Sally Mann, her children's portraits look more like damaged 19th century exploitation pictorials. Using a vintage large-format 8x10 camera and various scratched lenses, Mann was able to create rich black-and-white photos that once seen, will forever be ingrained in the minds of viewers.
Mann's third collection, Immediate Family, released in 1992, featured her three young children posing nude in various surreal, disturbing images. Not disturbing because they were spread eagle or anything, but because the looks on their faces captured their lost innocence and the emotions of knowing their whole childhood would come crashing down with the start of puberty. These images led to many religious and right-wing groups condemning her work and calling her a child pornographer and pedophile. Many conservative critics boycotted galleries in which her work was featured and tried to stop her public showings.
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