Virginia at Prayer 1991

This is Sally Mann's photograph, "Virginia at Prayer." It's hard not to respond to the high contrast, the way the figures and setting emerge from a sea of dark gray. Looking at the image, I imagine Mann waiting and watching for the right moment. How long did it take her to frame the two girls so perfectly against the chicken wire? What kind of connection did she have with them? There's a sense of distance, but also intimacy. It's as if Mann is trying to capture something essential about childhood, innocence, or perhaps even the way that we construct images. The image is both beautiful and disturbing. The girl's prayer seems sincere, but also staged. The chicken wire acts as a barrier, separating us from her world. This creates a tension, a feeling that something is not quite right. I'm reminded of other photographers who explore themes of childhood and memory, like Diane Arbus and Emmet Gowin. These artists are all in conversation with one another. And in the end, it's us as viewers who are left to grapple with what it all means.