Sally Mann at The Photographers' Gallery, London

[Ash]

I was lucky enough to gain access to the private view this evening. Mann wasn't in the country for personal reasons, but it was busy none-the-less.

The images are powerful in much larger form, but they are so soft! The focus is just off from ideal which was disappointing for me - having seen Leibovitz work a while back, I guess I was spoilt by editorial/art sharpness versus Art where the concept is paramount.

Possibly its because she uses that kit to get the swirls, vignette, blur... but even the sharp images seemed a little out of focus. Maybe I'm expecting too much. It was still a good show, and nice to see the prints on display in the UK.

[Walter Calahan]

Mann is a romanic poet at heart. 180° different then Leibovitz's work. Tough to compare the two.

Mann and Julie Margaret Cameron are a better comparison. Cameron would purposefully not focus on the subject to get pin point sharpness. She did this deliberately.

[iml]

Damn, Ash, I was there, didn't see you.

[mcfactor]

There is one Mann print in the History of Women in Photography show at the MOMA in NY. It is one of the most beautiful prints I have ever seen. It is a 20x24 portrait of a young girl. It is absolutely radiant, tack sharp, and has some of the best tones I have ever seen. Mann is a very versatile photographer, her earlier work is very sharp, but her recent stuff has been softer, focusing instead on mood and feeling.

If any of you are in NY in the next couple months, you should check out the show.

[Dave Wooten]

Her photos of her children were often taken with an 8 x 10 and contact printed.

[Ash]

I was there around 7:30-8pm, not for long, was easy to stop wearing my purple cast on the broken arm.

Dave, these were very big enlargements.