Texas Officials Target Sally Mann’s Photography as Child Exploitation Evidence

The photographs by Sally Mann featured in a group showcase at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas, have been criticized by locals and elected representatives as having what they consider inappropriate representations of minors.

Sally Mann has ignited debate for years due to her images of her rural home in Lexington, Virginia, which include nude portrayals of her underage offspring. In 1992, the New York Times Magazine cover story, “The Disturbing Photography of Sally Mann,” for example, recounted a federal prosecutor informing Mann that “no fewer than eight images she selected for the traveling exhibition [“Immediate Family”] could lead to her arrest.”

The Fort Worth showcase, titled “Diaries of Home,” co-curated by chief curator Andrea Karnes and assistant curator Clare Milliken, showcases the works of 13 female and nonbinary artists who, as stated on the museum’s website, “investigate the intricate notions of family, community, and home.” The website contains a disclaimer indicating that the exhibition showcases “mature themes that may be sensitive for certain viewers.” Mann’s family images were characterized as both “intimate and compelling” by the museum; however, opinions vary.

“There are visuals being displayed at this museum that are exceedingly inappropriate at best,” remarked Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare to the Dallas Express. “They ought to be removed immediately and examined by law enforcement for any and all possible criminal infractions. Children need to be safeguarded, and decency must prevail.”

Other political figures also seized the chance to express their views. “This exemplifies what transpires when a city’s culture is solely concentrated on growth and commerce,” stated Tarrant County Republican Party Chairman Bo French to the Express. “If you are not equally focused on maintaining moral principles, this kind of depravity seeps in. Our esteemed museums should be advancing excellence instead of radical corruption.”

State Representative-elect David Lowe from House District 91 added: “It is essential that our legal framework provides no opportunity for predators to exploit the art realm to display images of child nudity. If there are any gaps, we are ready to confront and rectify them in the forthcoming legislative session in Texas.”

Mann’s visuals do not depict sexual behaviors, yet due to the inclusion of nudity, some critics have labeled the imagery as “child porn”, even drawing parallels to “pedophilia” and “child rape.”

A formal complaint has supposedly been lodged with the Fort Worth Police Department, which has initiated an active investigation.

In her defense, Mann penned an article for Times Magazine in 2015 where she advocated for her body of work: “Too often, nudity, including that of children, is misinterpreted as sexuality, and visuals are confused with actions.”

She further stated, “The representation of the child is particularly prone to that sort of perceptual distortion; children are not merely the innocent beings we presume them to be… But in a society so deeply committed to a cult of childhood innocence, we are understandably hesitant to recognize these dissonant elements or, as I discovered, even fictionalized portrayals of them.”

Mann has showcased her work in numerous solo exhibitions in museums and galleries both domestically and internationally since 1973, including “Sally Mann: A Thousand Crossings,” (2018–20) at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., which toured across the U.S. and later to Paris. Her work was part of the 1991 Whitney Biennial, and in 2001, Time magazine recognized Mann as “America’s best photographer.” She has also received a Guggenheim fellowship and three National Endowment for the Arts fellowships.

“Diaries of Home,” which will be on display until February 2, also features works by Patty Chang, Jess T. Dugan, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Nan Goldin, Debbie Grossman, Letitia Huckaby, Deana Lawson, Laura Letinsky, Arlene Mejorado, Catherine Opie, Laurie Simmons, and Carrie Mae Weems.