Sally Mann at the Photographers’ Gallery

he family and the Land: Sally Mann. 18 June – 19 September 2010

I have just got back from The Photographers’ Gallery where they are showing ‘The Family and the Land: Sally Mann’. I was hugely impressed. I think the new venue for The Photographers’ Gallery is beautiful, and they have dedicated both galleries to the show. The walls have been painted a beautiful olive green/grey which sets off the tones of the black and white images perfectly and the lighting is just right, not too bright and not too dark. I was also very curious about the glass in the frames as it almost looks like it is plastic – I can only assume it is a non reflective glass and I shall be looking into it for my exhibitions. But not in the way I looked into it this morning…I got told off for tapping it to see if it was plastic…

Sally Mann was born in America in 1951 and is best known for her series of portraits, Immediate Family, taken of her three young children over a period of ten years. The exhibition combines these images with some of her landscapes and another collection called What Remains, a series of portraits of decomposing bodies. Sally Mann’s love of the medium of photography and her immense talent can be seen throughout the exhibition. The images are beautifully printed and presented and are of course stunning, powerful photographs. I cannot recommend it enough.

The exhibition runs from the 18th of June to the 19th of September 2010. Well worth the effort – A wonderful venue and a fantastic show.