A Museum Object Label
Sally Mann (American, b. 1951)
Virginia at Four, 1989
Gelatin silver print
Captured during a warm sunny day when children ran around the family farm in state of Virginia, this photograph reflects the unique personality and body of the artist’s youngest child. Through its portrayal of the confident young girl, the photograph suggests that even small children possess their own complex personalities. The nudity provides a metaphorical access into the crystal clear, lyrical soul of Virginia.
After receiving international acclaim for her project At Twelve (1988), Mann collected 65 duotone images that she had taken of her three children between 1984 and 1991 into her third publication, Immediate Family. This photograph, as part of that collection, mirrors Mann’s artistic mission to convey childhood in its most authentic presence. As an anomalous contemporary photographer, Mann claims, “my lens should remain open to the full scope of their childhood…triumphs, confusion, harmony and isolation”. Inspired by the Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron, Mann utilizes black and white and focuses her large format camera on everyday subjects. The maturity, toughness, and pride captured in the young girl makes Mann’s camera a weapon to fight against the taboo identity of childhood.