Sally Mann’s What Remains, is a multi-part series exploring the ineffable questions surrounding death, decay, mortality, and spirit. What Remains was also the launching point of a remarkable film by the same name, a documentary about Mann and her work made by Steven Cantor. The film chronicles the development of Mann’s What Remains body of work, following the artist from her studio to the outside environment and even to her research at a forensic studies site. Through intimate conversations about her life’s work, her family, and the craft of collodion printing, Mann provides insight to her thought process and artistic intuition. In the film Mann describes how her love for a dearly departed dog led her to a deep consideration of the relationship between spirit and physicality. From this experience she moved forward with several photographic projects that became What Remains, a visual stream of associations and provocations aimed at capturing a fleeting glimpse of life’s essence.
Text by Heather Snider