Self-Portrait 1974

Here we see a self-portrait by Sally Mann. It’s a black and white photograph where the artist stands to the left of a large format camera, both reflected in a mirror. The composition is strikingly symmetrical, divided vertically by the camera’s imposing form. The stark contrast between light and shadow sculpts Mann’s face and casts the background into a blurred obscurity. It is a study in doubling where the mirror shows not just a reflection but a mise-en-abyme; the camera is an instrument of self-representation while at the same time, the mirror complicates the notion of a singular, authentic self. The choice of black and white and the use of an older camera technology evokes a sense of timelessness. The mirror allows for an intimate look into the artist's space, transforming a functional object into a tool for philosophical inquiry. The image is not just a portrait, but a deconstruction of portraiture itself.