FAVORITE ARTWORK CRITIQUE
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Caroline Kiley
Favorite Artwork Critique of
Candy Cigarette by Sally Mann
When I first came across Candy Cigarette by Sally Mann, I was immediately perplexed and
intrigued by the image before me. As I gazed at this black and white photograph, an unwanted sense of
sadness swept over me. Sadness, which might deter some people from continuing to look at something,
contrarily brought me closer to this artwork. How can something so simple bring tears to my eyes?
There is something about this photograph that triggers an emotional response within my psyche. How
this response is provoked may hopefully be revealed through an analysis of the basic characteristics that
make up this photograph and the interpretations that may be drawn after consulting with outside
resources.
Candy Cigarette features a young girl with long, wispy, light colored hair standing at the
forefront of the frame. Her gaze aligns with the focus of the image shot. She is wearing a simple light
colored dress, hemmed with subtle ruffles, and cut with an innocent “U” shaped neckline. Her right
forearm, baring a wristwatch, is situated across the abdomen with her hand tucked under her armpit in
such a way to support her left arm. Her left arm is casually propped up in the air while her fingers
maturely grasp what looks like a cigarette.
In the right corner of the photograph, another child with long, curly, dark hair stands with their
hands situated on their hips. This child is wearing a darker colored dress and is assumed to be a female.
Her gaze contrasts the gaze of the child in the foreground in that she is facing the background, thus
making the form of her face a mystery. On the left side of the photograph a human figure appears
suspended in the air by what seems to be stilts. The figure appears to be wearing a shirt with shorts.
When compared to the outfits of the other two children, this figure is assigned a male gender. The
obscure figure of this boy is facing a blurred landscape of darkness in which his head cannot be
distinguished from.
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The primary element of this photograph that drew my attention was the gaze and attitude of the
girl in the forefront. Although her features are young, she conducts herself in a way that eludes to a
heightened sense of maturity. I was immediately captured by her beauty which comes from the softness of
her facial features and the freedom with which her soft hair falls. Alongside her beauty there exists a
sadness in her facial expressions. Her eyes are heavy and the corners of her lips are restlessly falling
toward the ground. Complimenting her sadness and contrasting her innocence, she causally holds what
appears to be a cigarette in her fingers. From the title of the photograph, I assume that she is holding a
candy cigarette opposed to a real cigarette. Although this item in her hand is merely a stick of white
sugar, it embodies rebellion and adulthood.
This photo is a part of a series called “Immediate Family” that Sally Mann took of her children as
they grew up. This particular photo is much less provocative than the other controversial photographs;
however, its impact is still monumental. When writing about this series Richard B. Woodward said, “The
fears and sheltering tenderness that any parent has felt for his or her child were realized with an eidetic
clarity,” (“The Disturbing photography of Sally Mann, 1992). Candy Cigarette can be viewed as a
moment of pondering and realization from the eyes of a parent. The question of how much freedom
should be given and the realization of the inevitability of rebellion arises. Some children will follow the
path ahead of them with confidence as demonstrated by the girl on the right looking down the path ahead
of her with her shoulders held high. Other children will recklessly and fearlessly go about the life ahead
of them, just as a boy walks on stilts. The remaining individuals will look away from the path most
traveled with a sense of confusion, sadness, and rebellion as demonstrated by the girl looking toward the
photographer.
Children live with a desire to grow up and they can be the most curious individuals in the world.
They question everything about themselves and the world around them. Every so often this quest for
understanding is rebellious. Children live without fear until they are given something to fear. The boy on
the stilts demonstrates fearlessness whereas the girl with the candy cigarette holds a fearful expression on
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her face. And the question that immediately comes to my mind is: What fuels the fear in this child’s
eyes?
After spending time with this piece, I have come to the realization that when I look at this girl I
project my struggles on to her visual story. I am at a cross road in my life where I need to choose what
path to go down. I recognize the people around me who are confident or reckless as I find myself looking
away in sadness. Sometimes I still feel like an innocent child trying to convince people that I am an adult,
just as this girl casually and convincingly holds a candy cigarette, as if to fool people of her innocence.
We rebel to understand. This girl has a look of desperation in her eyes that comes from a deep desire to
understand her purpose and the path with which she should follow. Maybe holding a symbol of the life
with which she is supposed to one day live numbs her desperation or maybe it is just her way of
deciphering and understand the life that lies before her.
The tear I lost while examining this photo came from a very deep and desperate place inside of
myself. It is a place where my desperation for understanding goes to hide. Most of the time, when life is
busy, this place inside of me is forgotten. A reminder of its existence, however, can show up in the most
peculiar places. The despondency brought forth through the eyes of this little girl and the casually mature
way with which she held herself reminded me of my innocent quest for understanding. As life goes on,
we all learn to accept everything that we encounter. We accept social norms and abnormalities without
any question of why they exist; just as children desire to suck on a candy cigarette without any
understanding of its purpose.
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References
Candy Cigarette. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2016, from
http://www.mocp.org/detail.php?type=related
Woodward, R. B. (1992, September 27). The Disturbing Photography of Sally Mann. Retrieved
September 11, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/27/magazine/the-disturbingphotography-of-sally-mann.html?pagewanted=all
FAVORITE ARTWORK CRITIQUE
Candy Cigarette
Sally Mann
1989
Medium: Gelatin silver print
(mopc.org)
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