Customer Reviews

What Remains

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WHAT REMAINS is an apt title to this extraordinary photographic portfolio by the sensitive, ever inquisitive, gentle spirit of Sally Mann. Though often criticized for her 'audacity' of material she elects to photograph, Mann is never less than creative and challenging.

This well designed book is divided into sections that explore life and especially death in its many guises - accidental, violent, natural - and the remains of the deed, matter with which we the living must deal. There is the death of a family greyhound shown with grief and simplicity, the violent death of a criminal killed on Mann's property and the gore of that event and aftermath, a series of views of dead bodies in a morgue, and dark landscape survey of Antietam (a battlefield fro the Civil War) that is haunting and all too reminiscent of ongoing battlefields we still create, and finally some views of her own children's faces.

The camera techniques include ambrotypes and modes of developing that are both difficult and rewarding. One is left with the impact of the fine line between life and death and that vacuum that exists when one becomes the other. Some may find this particular portfolio difficult to see, but perhaps those people will gain the most from Sally Mann's meditations on life and death. Grady Harp, January 2004

The first time I viewed this book, standing over it for nearly an hour, I was left socked, so shaken that I had to go to my room and turn off all the lights, and just lie in my bed and rest myself.

What Mann has created is not definable, and doubtless each viewing experience will be different for each individual. She does not seem to be creating an agenda book as much as an human experience. As I moved through I kept on thinking about, or rather questioning myself. What is it to look at a dead body? Is it a sign of disrespect for the dead? Or is it a sign of reverence? After all, it is the easy thing to turn away from the rotting flesh of our family, but that does not mean that it is the respectful thing, right?

One would think that Mann, already an artist at the top of her profession, might be tempted to rest on her laurels. However, this new work proves that she has no intention of doing so. She bravely continues to take risks, as well as dive further into her subject matter, and what remains is one of the world's greatest artists functioning at the peak of her creative powers.

I was not very familiar with the work of Sally Mann but was so captivated by the cover image on this book that I had to buy it. I was thrilled to see that the interior images are even more compelling. This look into mortality evokes different feelings every time I pick it up. The quality of the images seem far superior to most photography books out there; it's as though the book is filled with actual photographic prints. I highly recommend this book, it would be a unique and meaningful gift.

Death has long been a subject for artists. Mann's depth and vision elevate even the photos of decomposing bodies several levels above the merely grotesque. Yes, the photos are "difficult". The techniques employed produce dark or washed out and unevenly exposed images. But this adds to the overall mood of the book. And the subject matter is not "pretty". The final section of tightly cropped family photographs sums up "what remains". This is an outstanding project from one of the finest practitioners today of the photographer's art.

Thank you to Sally Mann for her frank discussion & photographs on death. I have long felt that American's are spending millions of dollars in the vain, dillusional and fear-driven attempt to ELIMINATE aging and death. It is frustrating & depressing to see so much money wasted this way. It also seems to have created an obsession with safety at any cost. I appreciate Sally Mann's beautifully done work on this "taboo" subject.

I don't even remember how I discovered this book, but I somehow came to have it in my possession. How did I recieve it again? How would one even give this book? It would surely be a strange, if not macabre gift...perhaps only for a devoted Sally Mann fan or during an explorative photographic mission...or as a lovely token from you local village shaman...It's journey to me is unknown, but its presence with me is very much memorable. I remember passing it around to my close relatives, letting them hold it and make painful contortions with their mouths, and I remember the infrequent stumble-upon-moment of browsing at my bookshelf that I would become totally entranced within it, eyes wide, eyes like a giant liquid bubble...what is the healthy way to own this book? It is much too disturbing upon a coffee table (unless that is you are trying to trigger your guests into producing a spasmic array of disgust, pitty, gloom, anger, and haunting whistfulness?) This book mines the human unconscience; it is a sacred text of wordless images; tuck it deep within your library; cherish it privately.

Being a photographer myself it is a must to study Sally Mann's work. No doubt, here reputation is not coincident and definitely not only because she took a couple of photos of children without cloth. Her photos tell stories and portrait those children in a very strong and real way.
I was very impressed with her work and it still inspires me today.

I was very happy when this book arrived at my door and couldn't wait to open it. The photos of the decaying bodies is clearly not every's taste, but captured on in an extremely impressive and strong way. She treated her negatives is a way that matches the rotten look of the bodies. She carefully chose a style that gives you just enough distance to still feel comfortable but at the same time getting close enough to recognize what we see.

I had to look through these photos a couple of times to adjust myself to it and become open to what I saw. Looking at human being this way is something we have damned from our everyday life. It is not something I would put on my wall, but it is an experience I don't want to miss either.

The big disappointment comes after those photos. The other 2/3 of the book shows photos that are hardly worth the paper they are printed on. I consider myself open to a wide range of artisitc expression but not the lack of it. What we see on the following pages is like the title suggests the remains of Sally Mann's drawers where she probably found decade old films that she forgot to process. As much as I tried to like it and find something "talking" to me I simply ended up flipping through the pages more and more quickly hoping to get to the next chapter. But it never came.

No I don't think it is a waste of money, and yes I still like Sally Mann's work. I just don't have to like this book (except for the first part).

If you like her previous work, her style and extremely impressive and artistic portraits you might be very disappointed with this book as it is not remotely similar to what you might expect.

I was very happy to recieve my purchase. It was in great condition and arrived alot sooner than expected. I certainly plan to make future purchases on Amazon.

I have great respect for Mann. Her past work has been provocative and sophisticated. This piece however, is rather uninspiring, bland, and repetitive. It seems as though she's lost much of her inspiration since her children have grown up.

I was a bit disappointed as I didn't realize it was just pictures of "Extremely Dead People" photos. I really did not read any of the other reviews so I was a bit shocked when I opened the book. I would not purchase this book again. I thought it was something concerning life, not past life. If you are a person interested in NECRO-ART it would be of interest.