Artist Lecture- Sally Mann

Sally Mann’s lecture at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts was very intriguing and informative. Mann’s lecture was different than the VCU artist lectures I have been too, in that there were a series of questions asked to Sally Mann and she would respond to each one.  This however allowed Mann to discuss a larger variety of her work.  Mann during her lecture was very modest Sally mentioned that she enjoys hearing how much people enjoy her work, because in Lexington, VA everyone knows her as her husband’s wife. 

Sally Mann made interesting comments, “that one should never put out a body of finished work until you are one third of your way through a new body of work” Mann stated that artists should follow by this rule so that they will not be emotionally attached to the work by the time it gets reviewed.  In regards to trying not to be emotionally attached to her work, Mann said, she tried to photograph her father after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor however she was not brave enough to do it.  I thought this was interesting because like Sally my father too has had medical issues in the past and could never imagine recording it through photography because it is so personal. 

Sally Mann seemed to answer both of my questions during her lecture.  Mann with her new work exhibited at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, “The Flesh and The Spirit” contains some color photographs, Mann commented that, “she pairs the scene to the medium, if it’s appropriate she will use any medium.”  Mann’s new work, “The Flesh and The Spirit,” includes ambrotypes and gelatin-silver prints made from wet plate negatives.  Mann used these different techniques pushing the limits making the theme of her work appear to be more vulnerable.   Regarding Mann's new photographs of her and her husband she remarked that her husband was very brave to let her photograph him, the work is based on a women’s perspective photographing a man.   Sally Mann’s lecture was overall very captivating.