[ BOOK LIVES ] Immediate Family by Sally Mann

Immediate Family
by Sally Mann
Aperture
ISBN 0-89381-518-7

When Sally Mann’s Immediate Family was published in 1992, it caused quite a ripple.

There were just so many angry people, starting with her very own immediate family.

There were some ‘charges’ that I would dismiss outright, starting with child pornography. If any of her images can be classified as adult materials, then I don’t know what to think. So that part was easy.

What’s harder are the complaints from her own children who went on record to say things ranging from ‘we didn’t want to part of it’ to ‘we didn’t have a choice’.

I bought the book because it was beautiful and love the idea of turning the camera inward.

Mann’s method is very contrary to what I was schooled in but I am glad I recognised long long ago that there isn’t just one way of doing documentary.