“Collage with Sally Mann” incorporates some of my favorite photographs by Mann and my own work, much of which appears to resemble in style to Sally’s. Although she is not displayed at the MoMA her work influences me daily, which is why I thought it would be appropriate to collage with her. This inspiration and admiration results in similarities between my own photographs and hers, and so each collage serves as a beacon for similarities — whether that be in subject or emotion.
The medium used in this piece is a classic form of 2D collage, where photographs where printed, cut, and glued within a set square boundary. The Bristol paper provides a thick canvas for the thiner printed paper, and it highlights the black and white images due to it’s off-white color. Every collage incorporates both our works.
Each collage serves as a conversation between Mann and I, a conversation which discusses subject matter, style, and “story” to some extent. One of the many characteristics of Mann’s work is the repeated subject matter. She often photographs her family and her home, however she finds specific beautiful moments to capture which appear different every time. This can be seen in her collection of Family Pictures and Proud Flesh. This ability to find beauty in the repetition of the mundane is something I look up to and try to incorporate in my own work. This connection was the subject of multiple collages, where repeated elements such as body parts, angle, and person where put together. Other collages were more about finding a new way to present these pictures, and in these I took a more surrealistic approach, which lead to a conversation about how these beautiful yet somber photographs can be transformed and manipulated in to tell a story that resembles more of the somber style rather than the sweet subject.
Mann, Sally. “ABOUT.” Sally Mann. Accessed February 19, 2019. https://www.sallymann.com/new-page/.
Mann, Sally. “Family Pictures.” Sally Mann. Accessed February 19, 2019. https://www.sallymann.com/new-gallery-1.
Mann, Sally. “Proud Flesh.” Sally Mann. Accessed February 19, 2019. https://www.sallymann.com/proud-flesh.
