Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/06/26

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Re:Sally Mann, digest V17 #195
From: Robert Appleby and Sue Darlow <laintal@tin.it>
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2000 20:31:57 +0200

>>>>>>>>>
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2000 10:08:29 -0400
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Subject: RE: [Leica] Re:Sally Mann, digest V17 #195
Message-ID: <000f01bfdf78$00e15460$d70110ac@ccapr.com>
References: 

Rob - Maybe someday..:-)...
After some 17 years in journalism spent covering bioethics - which has
nothing to do with photography - these ethical questions both interest me
and tend to intrude themselves as I consider non-medical areas of
endeavor....

You see a "celebration" in her photos of her children....I wonder how the
children will feel when they are older and have the world looking at those
photos....And given the fact that the concern is legit, I don't think the
photos are. And I think it is very telling, and indicative of Ms Mann's
ethical/moral vacuum, that she would make a nonsensical/arrogant comment
about how her children would tell off those who criticize the work....of
course they would, she is Mommy and they love her....which is, again, even
more reason why she should be dedicated to protecting her children, not
displaying them in that way....If what she does is so glorious and
celebratory, let her make an arrangement with another family to "celebrate"
their children endlessly in the same way....:-)

B. D.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
BD, believe me, it's not _just_ that I want to have the last word! Anyway,
I doubt I could with you at the other end :)
I have a nearly five year old daughter who I have photographed a lot and
continue to photograph, sometimes naked, although I haven't made a
speciality out of that (I no longer look so good naked). I feel that SM's
pictures of her kids are simply driven by the fact that small children -
especially your own children - have an extraordinary beauty that they'll
never have again. And anyone who's visually motivated will want to
celebrate (ohmigod!) that.
As for her personality, exploitative or bullying earth mother, I couldn't
say. I have to say I was surprised to hear so much negative comment about
her here.
Anyway, nothing much new here, so I'll sign off.
Rob.
Robert Appleby and Sue Darlow
Via Bellentani 36
41100 Modena
Italy
Tel/fax [39] 059 303436