Ex 3.9: Mixed messages

Sally Mann - Candy Cigarette

This image is called Candy Cigarette. Does that influence your interpretation of the image? This was a highly controversial image in 1989 when it was produced. What do you think the
reaction would be to it today? 

Make notes in your learning log or blog. It might be interesting to go on the student forum and find out what other students have made of this image.

 

Pose/gesture	Adult smoking cigarette, other child defiant
Clothes	Children’s clothes,
Props	Sweet cigarette
Lighting	Natural lighting
Background	In a garden/patio
Meaning	Child emulating adult smoking, trying to act grown up
Reaction today	Smoking is seen in a different light today as more people try to give up the habit.  This would be seen as condoning the habit and encouraging not only the child in the picture to smoke but to make other children think and encourage them its okay to smoke regardless of the problems that might occur in later life.

Pose/gesture	Starring defiantly at camera
Clothes	Evening clothes, ready for a night out
Props	None
Lighting	Dark as inside a taxi, looks like no extraneous flash used
Background	New York city street through taxi window
Meaning	Defiant, bold cheeky, daring criticisms