Candy Cigarette
The girl in the previous post is actually holding a candy cigarette. It was taken in 1989.
The photo below:
Damaged Child (1984)
Your immediate reaction might be that the child has been beaten, but actually, the child is allergic to gnat bites and was bitten up one summer.
Sally Mann is one artist that gets me thinking and has me identifying with her point of view. I guess because I have three children of my own as she does.
I found it interesting that pictures of her kids who were dirty and unsmiling were seen as neglected and/or beaten children by critics I came across while learning more about her this weekend.
When I saw her pictures, it never occurred to me to think along those lines. I guess because from my own experience and what I've seen my own kids go through, they just seemed like they were playing outside all day. Frumpled, crazy hair. And that perhaps the photos were taken more spontaneously. To me, the photos were REAL rather than posed and say cheese...smile for the camera kind of shots.
Kids aren't always shiny, happy people. Even when they aren't smiling, they can be happy.
Well, that is my culture experience for the time being.
The photo below:
Damaged Child (1984)
Your immediate reaction might be that the child has been beaten, but actually, the child is allergic to gnat bites and was bitten up one summer.
Sally Mann is one artist that gets me thinking and has me identifying with her point of view. I guess because I have three children of my own as she does.
I found it interesting that pictures of her kids who were dirty and unsmiling were seen as neglected and/or beaten children by critics I came across while learning more about her this weekend.
When I saw her pictures, it never occurred to me to think along those lines. I guess because from my own experience and what I've seen my own kids go through, they just seemed like they were playing outside all day. Frumpled, crazy hair. And that perhaps the photos were taken more spontaneously. To me, the photos were REAL rather than posed and say cheese...smile for the camera kind of shots.
Kids aren't always shiny, happy people. Even when they aren't smiling, they can be happy.
Well, that is my culture experience for the time being.
posted by Shannon at
7:26 AM
1 Comments:
When I first saw this photo, I thought sure this girl got pounded by one of her siblings. I can't count the number of bruises, black eyes and bumps I had as a child that I received through rough outdoor play with my brothers/friends...
I was surprised to discover her appearance was due to an allergic reaction.
The picture made me think of those times in the heat of summer, bare-armed and sweaty, when I'd come home bruised and a little broken to a mother who never got used to seeing me that way. She fretted over all of it, while I went on my merry way to play some more...
This girl looks furious... Troubled... But I know that she could in just moments look anxious to get away from her mother and back into the wild of being a kid.
By
Nicole P, at 2/25/2008 4:52 PM
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