Damaged Child
Quick Summary
The photograph "Damaged Child" is part of Sally Mann's controversial series Immediate Family. This series, created in the 1980s and shown in 1992, features Mann's three young children. The black-and-white images often depict them nude and in situations that some viewers found disturbing, sparking debates about exploitation and child pornography.12
"Damaged Child" specifically shows Mann's eldest daughter, Jessie, with a swollen eye and an angry expression. While some interpreted this as a sign of abuse, it was actually due to a gnat bite. Mann stated that she photographed her children when they were "bloodied or sick or naked or angry," aiming to capture the complexities of childhood.2
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