Deep South, Untitled (Three Drips)

<p>Sally Mann has documented her native Virginia for more than 30 years. In her series <em>Deep South</em>, she metaphorically transposes histories of the American South into photographs using the wet-plate collodion process. The laborious technique, which dates to the Civil War, requires the photographer to bring a bulky view camera, glass negatives, and a makeshift darkroom wherever she goes. The process requires great technical skill and is prone to accident. Rather than attempt conventional perfection, Mann embraces scrapes and fogged negatives that enhance a melancholic quality in her images. The outdated chemical process makes material the permanent impression of history on backcountry southern landscapes.</p>