JULIE BLACKMON: New Work at Fahey/Klein

Queen, 2010
Photograph © Julie Blackmon

Night Movie, 2011
Photograph © Julie Blackmon

New work from photographer Julie Blackmon’s ongoing series “Domestic Vacations” depicts imagined, as well as autobiographical, narratives inspired by the hectic and multifaceted domestic life of her own family. “As an artist and as a mother,” Blackmon states “I believe life’s most poignant moments come from the ability to fuse fantasy and reality: to see the mythic amidst the chaos.”

"The painterly influences of Julie Blackmon’s work are further emphasized by the large scale of the works being exhibited including four Archival Pigment Print photographs each measuring over 4 ½ feet tall and six feet wide. Blackmon states, "The paintings of Steen, along with those of other Dutch and Flemish genre painters, helped inspire this body of work. As Steen’s personal narratives of family life depicted nearly 400 years ago, the conflation of art and life is an area I have explored in photographing the everyday life of my family and the lives of my sisters and their families at home. These images are both fictional and auto-biographical, and reflect not only our lives today and as children growing up in a large family, but also move beyond the documentary to explore the fantastic elements of our everyday lives, both imagined and real.”'

Julie Blackmon: New Work

Fahey/Klein Gallery / March 8 – April 21
Also Showing Vee Speers

JULIE BLACKMON: New Work

Snowday, 2010
Photograph © Julie Blackmon

Sharpie, 2011
Photograph © Julie Blackmon

Night Movie, 2011
Photograph © Julie Blackmon

Airstream, 2011
Photograph © Julie Blackmon

The Dutch proverb "a Jan Steen household" originated in the 17th century and is used today to refer to a home in disarray, full of rowdy children and boisterous family gatherings.

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JULIE BLACKMON is the oldest of nine children and now the mother of three. Her photographs have been honored with numerous awards since she began exhibiting, including American Photo Emerging Artists 2008, first prize from CENTER/Santa Fe Center for Photography Project Competition, and PDN's 30, among many others.

DOMESTIC VACATIONS: "The paintings of Steen, along with those of other Dutch and Flemish genre painters, helped inspire this body of work. As Steen’s personal narratives of family life depicted nearly 400 yrs. ago, the conflation of art and life is an area I have explored in photographing the everyday life of my family and the lives of my sisters and their families at home. These images are both fictional and auto-biographical, and reflect not only our lives today and as children growing up in a large family, but also move beyond the documentary to explore the fantastic elements of our everyday lives, both imagined and real...read more

Julie Blackmon's Domestic Vacations
New Work at Photo-eye Gallery

JULIE BLACKMON: Domestic Vacations

Rooster, 2007 © Julie Blackmon / All rights reserved

Powerade, 2005 © Julie Blackmon / All rights reserved

PC, 2005 © Julie Blackmon / All rights reserved
Inspired by the Velásquez painting Las Meninas

Front Porch, 2005 © Julie Blackmon / All rights reserved

The Dissolute Household painting by Jan Steen

The Dutch proverb "a Jan Steen household" originated in the 17th century and is used today to refer to a home in disarray, full of rowdy children and boisterous family gatherings.

+ + +

JULIE BLACKMON is the oldest of nine children and now the mother of three. Her photographs have been honored with numerous awards since she began exhibiting, including American Photo Emerging Artists 2008, first prize from CENTER/Santa Fe Center for Photography Project Competition, and PDN's 30, among others.

DOMESTIC VACATIONS: "The paintings of Steen, along with those of other Dutch and Flemish genre painters, helped inspire this body of work. As Steen’s personal narratives of family life depicted nearly 400 yrs. ago, the conflation of art and life is an area I have explored in photographing the everyday life of my family and the lives of my sisters and their families at home. These images are both fictional and auto-biographical, and reflect not only our lives today and as children growing up in a large family, but also move beyond the documentary to explore the fantastic elements of our everyday lives, both imagined and real.

The stress, the chaos, and the need to simultaneously escape and connect are issues that I investigate in this body of work. We live in a culture where we are both "child centered" and "self-obsessed." The struggle between living in the moment versus escaping to another reality is intense since these two opposites strive to dominate. Caught in the swirl of soccer practices, play dates, work, and trying to find our way in our "make-over" culture, we must still create the space to find ourselves. The expectations of family life have never been more at odds with each other. These issues, as well as the relationship between the domestic landscape of the past and present, are issues I have explored in these photographs. I believe there are moments that can be found throughout any given day that bring sanctuary. It is in finding these moments amidst the stress of the everyday that my life as a mother parallels my work as an artist, and where the dynamics of family life throughout time seem remarkably unchanged. As an artist and as a mother, I believe life’s most poignant moments come from the ability to fuse fantasy and reality: to see the mythic amidst the chaos." — Julie Blackmon

Julie Blackmon 2009 New Work
Radius Books "Domestic Vacations"

DUTCH SEEN: 400th Anniversary of the Dutch Arrival in New York

Napkin, 2009 Photograph © Hendrik Kerstens/ All rights reserved

Alexander and Nicky Vreeland
Photograph©Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin/All rights reserved

THE MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK and Foam I Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam present Dutch Seen: New York Rediscovered. This exhibition marks the 400th anniversary of the Dutch arrival in Manhattan and features the work of renowned contemporary Dutch photographers. Guest curated by Kathy Ryan, Photo Editor of The New York Times Magazine.

"Through their considered gaze, the participating Dutch photographers give a portrait of what New York City is today. The rich diversity, energy, tolerance, and commerce the Dutch brought with them to the first settlements, along with the stunning landscape that originally attracted the Dutch to the region 400 years ago still define New York City today and are clearly visible in the photographs on display. The concept of the exhibition is created around the theme ‘portrait of the city’. The exhibition consists of portraiture, landscapes, still lives, conceptual photographs, and documentary photography. It's modern work, firmly rooted within the Dutch tradition."

"This exhibition presents some of the most exciting imagery in the photographic medium being done by the Dutch. The artists featured in the exhibition range from the legendary Rineke Dijkstra to emerging artists who are just now gaining recognition. Participating artists include: Morad Bouchakour, Misha de Ridder, Wijnanda Deroo, Rineke Dijkstra, Charlotte Dumas, Hendrik Kerstens, Arno Nollen, Erwin Olaf, Jaap Scheeren, Danielle van Ark, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, and Hellen van Meene. The majority of the work in the exhibition iscreated and premiered in this exhibition. A fully illustrated catalogue featuring work created by all of the participating photographers accompanies the exhibition."

New York Times Slideshow

Dutch Seen: New York Rediscovered June 10 - September 13
Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave at 103rd St, NYC 10029