“When I began taking pictures, I was primarily interested in documenting the lives of me and my five sisters as we raised families in the Ozarks. My goal was to capture the mythical in the ordinary, and I gradually began introducing narrative strands into the photos to create visual fables that reflected deeper truths. There have always been snakes lurking in the back gardens of my imagination; I wanted to explore and critique the way we live today. Someone once told me that my work was one-part Norman Rockwell and one-part Norman Bates.” Julie Blackmon’s (b. 1966) photographs are intricately formulated, revelling in busy details and hectic scenarios where accidents are just a stone’s throw away. Children throw balls into the air. Items spill out of garages. Balloons and empty wine bottles are left in disarray after parties. The result is both compelling and disarming; bodies, furniture and toys are all slightly off kilter.
Lead Image: Peggy’s Beauty Shop, 2015 © Julie Blackmon, Courtesy Robert Mann Gallery.
1: Midwest Materials, 2018 (detail). © Julie Blackmon, Courtesy Robert Mann Gallery.
2: Homegrown Food, 2012 © Julie Blackmon, Courtesy Robert Mann Gallery
3: High Dive, 2010 © Julie Blackmon, Courtesy Robert Mann Gallery.
4: Garage Sale, 2013 © Julie Blackmon, Courtesy Robert Mann Gallery.
5: The After Party, 2010 © Julie Blackmon, Courtesy Robert Mann Gallery.
