Police in Fort Worth, Texas have returned the Sally Mann photographs that were seized from a modern art museum following complaints that her artwork constituted child pornography.
The director of the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) confirmed the return of the photographs. Last month, Texas dropped the charges against Mann after a grand jury declined to take action. But until now the fate of the four prints remained unclear.
“It’s important to celebrate the return of these works because it brings the last bit of closure to a sensationalized and protracted investigation, and also because it represents the rightful check on the abuse of government power,” says Elizabeth Larison, director of NCAC’s art and culture advocacy program, in a statement. “Artistic freedom won, and artists can and should continue to exercise this right.”
Complaints about Mann’s photos started when a reporter from conservative online news outlet The Dallas Express visited the exhibit and accused the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth of “promoting child pornography.”
Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare picked up on the reports and criticized the exhibition. “Sexual exploitation of a minor, under the guise of ‘art,’ should never be tolerated,” he wrote on X, on January 8.
Mann is considered one of the most talented photographers of her generation but her intimate portraits of children have received both acclaim and criticism. A federal prosecutor once told Mann that some of her photos could subject her to arrest.
“The return of Mann’s photographs brings a welcome end to a shocking abuse of government power. Police had no business storming into a museum and seizing art like contraband. They picked a fight with the First Amendment and lost,” says Aaron Teer, the Director of Public Advocacy for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), per Glasstire.
Although the Sally Mann case has now been settled, a Texas lawmaker has picked up on the case and proposed a ban on “obscene” artwork being displayed at museums.
In response to the furor, Texas House Representative David Lowe, a North Richland Hills Republican, has filed House Bill 3958 which would create a civil penalty against museums that exhibit “certain obscene or harmful material.”
Image credits: Av8pix
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