YHS Photo 2 Elana: Sally Mann

Sally Mann was born in Lexington, VA, in 1951. She was given a Bachelor of Arts in ‘74 and in ‘75, a Master of the Arts in writing from Hollins College. Her first solo exhibit was in 1977 at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. In many interviews, she has named her reason for taking up photography in high school was to spend more time with her then-boyfriend in the darkroom. She then spent two years at Bennington College, a liberal arts school in Bennington, VT.
Her influences range from her photography teacher at Bennington, Norman Sieff, to 19th century processes and portrait photographers, such as Michael Miley. Another important influence is the American South. Architecture photos she had taken from ‘75 to ‘77 of the law school at Washington and Lee were included in Second Sight, published in 1982. In these photos, she portrayed the building in an abstract, mysterious, blur. However, the most important and prevalent of all her influences is her family. She began using her family as her muse when her daughter came home with a swollen face from gnat bites. In all of her portraits, she implies many touchy and underlying themes like abuse, incest, and suicide.
I really love how striking and simple her portraits are. They also offer nostalgia with dark and dangerous undertones which I would love to explore on my own. I enjoy shooting in black and white. The opportunity to explore my abilities and mirror her portraits intrigues me. I hope to capture the nostalgia and undertones with similar lighting and subject positions.