“Jessie and the Deer”- 1985

I chose to look at “Jessie and the Deer” photographed by Sally Mann in 1985. This image stood out for me the most because of its shocking content. The picture shows a very young girl dressed in a ballerina costume holding a wand as she stands happily next to a dead deer that has had its throat cut. The deer in this image is lying dead in the back of a truck with its head hanging over the edge, the dangling head hanging next to a bucket of blood that we assume has dripped out from the slit.

When you look at this image you feel slightly uncomfortable, as you’d think these two things shouldn't be together. Something so innocent and happy next to something so horrific and gory puts you in a strange position because you don’t know how you should feel about it. When you look at the little girl you can see that it doesn't faze her and that she is comfortable and relaxed to be around this dead animal.  The outfit she is photographed in doesn't seem to be the sort of clothes a person would wear in this sort of environment. Sally Mann is known to produce disturbing photographs with children in them in scenes where you wouldn't usually see a child in.

You could argue that this photograph represents or symbolizes a loss of innocence, as the expression on the child’s face shows no sense of fear or sadness for this poor animal. The eyes of the deer are blank and absent much like this little girl's sympathy for the deer.