LILY HALLIDAY
Y O U T H
S A L L Y M A N N
I M M E D I A T E F A M I L Y
Whilst researching more into children within photography focusing on the idea of female empowerment, I came across the photographer Sally Mann. Initially within her work I saw that she focuses on the complete opposite of female empowerment, and in fact how young girls can be over thrown by strong influences in their lives and how they are desperate to grow up. Although the concepts of both artists and photographs are very different, I find them visually similar in a lot of ways. For example like Parker, Mann focuses on very strong facial expressions and stances showing the independence of young girls. I believe this can be viewed as both female empowerment, as being individual and standing up for yourself. But I also see independence as wanting to grow up and making your own decisions, which I find it a much darker concept. This has inspired me to continue exploring this theme and how independence for young children can often turn into bad influences from other individuals.
The book consists of 65 greyscale photographs of her three children, all under the age of 10. Many of the pictures were taken at the family's summer cabin along the river, where the children played and swam in the nude. This aspect within her work creates a huge contrast, especially with the use of young age within her work. Many of the photographs explore typical childhood themes such as skinny dipping, playing board games and napping but explored in a much darker way, also touching on themes such as insecurity, loneliness, death and sexuality. These much darker themes combined with the use of young children create controversial ideas, something that you would usually only associate with much older individuals.
Within Mann’s photographs, I want to focus upon the children themselves and how they are being portrayed. For me, Mann creates the idea of children wanting to grow up too fast. For example, the scenes that are captured within her work such as smoking and parenting are always associated with adults rather than children, creating an amazing controversial effect. My interpretation does link with the darker themes Mann explored.
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Even though to me Mann brings in the aspect of children growing up, she still shows their innocence creating even more of a contrast in her photography. This is an aspect I want to bring forward into my own photography.
R E F E R E N C E - J O N B O G E N
Whilst carrying out further research, I came across this photograph by Jon Bogen that he created for a class assigned inspired by Mann. This is inspiration within my own photography, but for me also shows how the scenes shown in Mann's photographs appear more 'normal' when captured using adults.
I N S P I R E D S H O O T
To work in the style of Mann, I plan to create my own shoot capturing similar poses and photographs that will help to emphasise my theme of influences. Although within the experimentation of Mann I am losing the harsh background aspect that I loved previously in my shoot, I still plan to include the moody expressions and greyscale effect as well as allowing me to experiment further with different backdrops to discover which is the most effective. Like Mann, I am going to set my shoot against fields and grass to help show the playful manner of children. But, I will contrast this using my props that I plan to include such as toy prams, teddies and candy sticks. The candy stick is a very prominent aspect within Mann’s work and feel as if this is a perfect link with Parkers lolly stick that helps to show childhood but also possible influences and how that form can be treated as something else...
I have found this shoot effective and purposeful working in the style of Mann and feel as if I have captured the same essence she captures within her photography. I made the aspect of the bunny/bear very prominent within this shoot as I believe it still shows how young girls have that childhood behind them, but that they are introduced to other aspects such as parenting and smoking and recreate these subjects using toy prams and babies, and lolly sticks or candy sticks. Like Mann and Parker, I have kept the greyscale effect running to ensure their youth is captured to create a contrast within my photographs. I have also started to explore more of a focus on the candy stick within this shoot - more than Mann does. I love the idea of carrying forward he idea of how children are introduced to very harsh, grown up issues but in a very dumbed down, child friendly way, for example edible candy. Within a lot of my photos my model is holding the candy stick as if it is a cigarette, even putting it in her mouth influenced by others that she has seen within in the past. I have also captured the younger sibling gazing at my main model in confusion, giving her the possibly to take influence. This is where my theme from the empowerment of young girls could in fact flip and turn into the influence of young girls.
E D I T S
Once again, I have selected the most successful photographs from my shoot and added a greyscale effect and increased the contrast to create more depth and make the youthful skin more obvious. I feel as if the black and white effect helps to emphasise the theme of the shoot this time round as it is a very dark subject as such influences are never usually associated with young children.
M A R Y E L L E N M A R K
S T R E E T K I D S
During my research into Mann, I also came across the photographer Mary Ellen Mark, who captures similar photographs set in more visually dramatic surroundings. In my opinion, I find Marks photographs a lot more visually effective creating very harsh ideas and concepts within my head. This aspect is definitely something I would like to explore within my own work.
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Although whilst still similar, Marks scenes appear more dramatic and effective as she uses very real issues that are faced with in today’s society and around the world. She also incorporates a wide range of 'props' that are more visually and mentally effective such as real cigarettes, guns and even babies again creating an adult like atmosphere. Whereas, Mann’s work is less effective in the way that she shows children purely rein acting these scenes. For example, using fake baby dolls and candy sticks for cigarettes.
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I find that the camera is a lot more focused in Mann’s work, whereas Mark captures a lot more of her subject in her photo frame. I prefer this as it will allow me to capture more within my photographs being able to portal my theme and ideas more clearly, also including more of a setting/backdrop that is relevant to my work. For Mark, these scenes are set on street corners and alley ways compared to Mann that captures her photographs in more 'child friendly' areas like empty fields and long stretches of woodland. I believe the idea of setting my photographs in rough abandoned areas and street corners will be a lot more effective in showing how an innocent child can be forced to live in a harsh world, influenced by those around them. The use of brick walls and graffiti also links in with my previous experimentations using the theme of girl empowerment, and includes the aspect I loved within my own photographs following through to Mark.
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As for models, Mark focuses on a wider range of aged children also looking into young teens. I am willing to experiment with this aspect within my own photography to explore which age is best in portraying my theme. It also shows how the influences you may take on at a young age can follow you throughout your whole childhood and youth, taking you onto adulthood. Initially, in my opinion the use of younger children within my photography will be a lot more visually dramatic as it is not the usual norm, but I am excited to start experimenting and refining my ideas exploring the idea of influences on children.
A R T I S T C O M P A R I S O N
​To show the refinement of my ideas from each artist I have researched into so far, I have compared there most hard hitting and effective images exploring the similarities and differences. The initial similarity I see within all three photographs is the use of a candy stick/cigarette. Even though the lolly pop within the first photography by Kate Parker may not represent that idea of parental influences, to me it still shows that even within other topics the risk of influence is still there. I remember as a child myself buying anything from the sweet shop that took the form of a cigarette to play games with my friends just to symbolise the grown up actions that I saw others doing. This idea is more prominent in the second photograph by Sally Mann, showing a young girl actually using the candy stick as a cigarette, a lot more effective in portraying my theme. Again, it emphasises the idea of children wanting to grow up and experience what their elder’s experience, whatever it may be. The 3rd and final photography by Mary Ellen Mark takes the aspect of parental influences to new extremes showing a young girl physically smoking a cigarette accompanied by an even younger girl. I find this the most effective, showing that the risk of smoking has been overthrown and the addiction is beginning to take place already, something that is not usually associated with younger children.