Morning

I was reading this morning about the photographer Sally Mann. I will admit, I knew the name, I knew of the controversy about the photographs of her children, but I really didn’t know a lot about Sally. I can see that is going to change.

Her latest controversy was photographed at the University of Tennessee. It appears that they have an area called the Body Garden where cadavers are placed for the purpose of scientifically studying the decomposition of the human body. I have seen only one of the photographs but it is fascinating. I will never again feel a little weird about photographing dead fish. No one questioned whether or not Sally needed a signed release in order to publish the photographs.

I am also interested in comparing her photographs of her husband to Janet’s photographs of me. For that I will have to wait until he retires because she feels they might embarrass him—same reason I haven’t shown many of Janet’s photographs--I'm waiting until I expire. Anyway, Sally, I’m coming to check out your work much more closely. Here is the link to the article where Sally explains why she likes to to push people’s buttons—and the photograph of the cadaver: Sally Man, The Naked and the Dead.

Addendum: It is the Body Farm not the Body Garden and Sally's photographs are not that recent. They were published in 2003. Now, I just have to find the book. I have found a few more of the photographs posted to the internet.