Sally Mann

Sally Mann has an extensive history of capturing the intimate and raw aspects of life through her large format black and white photographs. Her work, predominantly focused on her immediate surroundings, has earned her multiple prestigious recognitions, including the National Endowment for the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship in 1982, 1988, and 1992, and the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1987. Mann's works have not been without controversy, as demonstrated by her third collection "Immediate Family", which sparked debates about the depiction of children in art. However, it was this same collection that earned her the title of "America's Best Photographer" by Time magazine in 2001, solidifying her place in the world of photography.

In addition to her photography, Mann has authored numerous books, blending memoir and photography to provide a unique perspective on various themes. These include her books "At Twelve: Portraits of Young Women", "What Remains", and "Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs", the latter of which was a finalist for the 2015 National Book Award. Her most recent work, "Sally Mann: A Thousand Crossings", explores the legacy of slavery and race, a subject she first touched on in her memoir "Hold Still". Her exploration of these themes has led to a deep engagement with the legacy of white violence in the South, a topic that has been recognized by critics.

Alongside her accolades, Mann has been the subject of two film documentaries, "Blood Ties" and "What Remains: The Life and Work of Sally Mann", the latter of which was nominated for an Emmy for Best Documentary in 2008. In 2011, Mann was invited to deliver the three-day Massey Lecture Series at Harvard, further highlighting her influence in the field. Her work is held in several major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art, and she was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame in 2021. Despite the controversy surrounding some of her work, Mann's contributions to photography and her unique approach to capturing life have cemented her legacy in the world of art.