Customer Reviews

Immediate Family

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This collection of works is undoubtedly a seminal work for contemporary fine art photography. Sally Mann's print work is without a doubt some of the most competant and breathtaking I have ever seen. Her scenes are rich with subtle tones and almost ethereal luminance that captivates the viewer. I would not be surprised if she is remembered as much for her printing as she is for the controversial subject matter.

The book deals with childhood in a very honest unashamed way. This is problematic for some viewers who think that pictures with children should only portray their happiest moments. This subject matter may not be suitable for the rigid-minded and certainly will be unpleasant for those who believe children, unlike the rest of humanity, can only be presented as cheerful little sprites. The book challanges the viewer and brings up issues of how our cultures representations of female sexuality are interpreted and acted out by young girls. Beyond that it refuses to entertain the idea that nudity in children is necesarily harmful and exploitative. These issues are broached in a beautiful, delicate way. The lives of her children are portrayed honestly and respectfully as she sees them through her lens.

Sally Mann's "Immediate Family" is startling when you first open it. Not because the children who are so often her subjects are nude much of the time, but because the scenes immediately draw you in and hold you like a feather gripped by a dirty-faced wild child. I grew up in rural Tennessee, and though I didn't have the freedom of the Mann children in some ways,I feel an affinity with them unlike any other children I've seen in these kinds of collections and was instantly transported back to my early years. My favorite pictures are "Crossed Sticks", which perfectly depicts the energy and vitality of childhood, and "Virginia at 3", which inspires both curiosity and empathy in me whenever I see it. I'm glad someone like Sally Mann is out there to portray childhood honestly and fearlessly, and I will treasure this book.

It's hard to see why there has been such a legal fuss over the photos contained herein, especially the luminous photos of older daughter Jessie, who was interviewed in the 1993 documentary "Blood Ties", which showed other photos not in the book [alas]. I only hope Mann has a chance to have published other photos of her children from this period, as well as some feom the 4 or 5 years immediately after [from about 1990 to 1995]. In the documentary, daughter Jessie was completely relaxed about all of the fuss, and seemed relaxed about being photographed without any clothes on in several photos. She wore nothing in several unpublished photos I've seen from the same period, like photos entitled "Venus After School", and "The Good Daughter". In an Aperture magazine retrospective on her from the early 2000's, she was very succinct in stating that she saw nothing wrong in any of this, and even more previously unpublished photos were published for the first time, proving that Jessie could be the subject of her own book. Here's hoping! This book is not to be missed! Don't let the controversy scare you away, before it's out of print for good!

i need to reiterate the point made in a previous review: this is not the place for opinions, personal values, or an ethics discussion. people who read these reviews for the purpose of trying to understand the contents of the book are not interested in these things. this book contains some very well-renowned photographs, an essential for those who already appreciate sally mann's work or are interested in learning about it for the first time. i highly reccommend this along with "At Twelve" for some extremely compelling and powerful documents of photography. Also, whoever thinks these photographs could be taken with a $200 camera has clearly never used one before. These were taken with an 8x10 view camera, which is incredibly difficult to master, as Sally Mann has done, largely without any professional instruction. That comment just demonstrates the reviewer's ignorance about photography in general and does a disservice to anyone reading these reviews seriously. This book is a fine addition to a serious photography collection.

Sally Mann was introduced to me in my college photography class through a video and I was facinated from the start. She is incredibly creative and her ideas were shot down by many because of nudity. It is not nudity, it is a beautiful art that she has been able to transform to film. She is wonderous and very talented. The book helps to show the childrens lives. How they lived within themselves and Sally was simply there constantly repeating, hold that pose. A lot of heart was put into this, creating amazing work.

I was unaware of the controversy regarding Mrs. Mann's work until recently and find the harsh words totally unwarranted and the attitudes unbelievable. This book reflects her understanding of what it's like to be a child in a rural environment and has NOTHING to do with pornography.

The nudity which some find so shocking is natural for kids. It's not until later when we learn our bodies are "bad" that we stop displaying them. That some attach the nudity in the shots of her children with sex speaks poorly of them and those who perpetuate this attitude.

This is a wonderful book that most of you will appreciate and identify with, making you recall memories of your own youth. And, if you were brought up in a suburban area you'll even learn some of what it's like being a kid in the country. However, if your looking for a book with snapshots of smiling kids, you'll be disappointed. This is a photo essay on an all too brief time of our lives, with the pictures being neither cute nor pretty, the photographer having chosen instead to show emotion and reality, and has done so beautifully.

Sally Mann is so talented! I love these photographs. She has captured the reality of life with creativity and love. Love for art,love for her children, and love for life.

After looking through the book, I found that I felt that I KNEW the three children pictured. I wondered where they are now, 10+ years later.

An Amazing piece of Art and American Culture

I've read some of the other reviews for this book, and most of the negative ones seem to mostly criticize the expressions on the faces of these children, and how they must reflect a miserable childhood. However, I know that when I was a child, I did not go around constantly with a huge grin on my face, even though my childhood was overall pretty happy. I think that if these photos showed these children all at happy moments and always smiling, then they would be boring, and I wouldn't consider them to be art. I think that these gorgeous photos honestly reflect their childhoods, and the ordeals they went through growing up. Just because the child's faces are blank does not mean that they were unwilling participants in these photos. Also, just because they were raised in an environment where nudity was accepted and not an issue isn't a cause for critism here either, in my opinion. Some people are just raised differently and in different environments, and I think it is fascinating to see how open this family was. I don't find it dirty [...] in any way at all. It's just honest, real photography.

Sally Mann is a master at capturing emotion. Her family photographs bring the observer back to the days of self discovery and the search for ones own identity. They remind us that the search is ever lasting and provoke pride in that notion. Her children appear independent and mature, however, there are subtle messages in the photographs which remind us of the often false face we present to the camera--to the world. I recommend this book to anyone in search of themselves and/or nostalgic of childhood.

It's perplexing to me that this book should garner any controversy. I am not a proponent of "naturism" nor is anyone in my family. I grew up with what I consider to be among the best, most loving, protective and capable parents ever. But if Sally Mann's work constitutes something immoral or illegal, then my parents and those of most of my friends should be arrested for the content of our family photo albums. The photos in this book are nothing more or less than extraordinarily beautiful captures an ordinary childhood. Any one of the photos could have been taken at my house growing up (with, of course, a gifted photographer) under normal circumstances. My sister basically refused to wear clothes until she was 5. We actually lived in an apartment building then and she was known to run naked in the hallways if my parents opened the door a crack. As a result, there are a hell of a lot of photos of my sister naked as a child. There's nothing exploitative or innapropriate about any of them, nor do I get any sense of impropriety whatsoever with Mann's photos. I suspect that any impropriety perceived has to do with the person looking at the photo - and by extension that individual's cultural sensibilities and personal experience - rather than the photos themselves, and likewise, unfortunately I think I can safely presume that they didn't cause a ripple of controversy anywhere outside of the US. They are simply stunning works of photography. The one of her daughter wearing the rollerskates on the porch is one of my favorites, perhaps because it reminds me most of my own childhood. The rural Virginian setting is remarkable in its own right and as a backdrop no doubt makes the photos even more evocative for those who, unlike myself, grew up in similar environs.