Midwest Materials © Julie Blackmon, Courtesy of Robert Mann Gallery

Interview by Kehan Lai

Could you talk about your image-making process? In other words, do you sketch the scene first and ask the kids to perform accordingly? Do you remake the photos that you took to better stage them?

In terms of how I'm working, I'd say it's probably closest to how filmmakers work. Having an idea of what I want, and then finding the setting, characters, etc., before I start directing and shooting. On a good day … some things happen on their own, and I’m not so locked into my idea that I'm not open to whatever might unfold naturally. In post, I’m editing what I got for the strongest elements that also all work together for the whole, and figuring out what details can support the overall narrative.

For example, with my piece “Fake Weather,” I saw my nieces and nephews waiting around that winter of 2017 for snow (I think it was the warmest winter on record). It not only didn’t snow, but the trees and shrubs that normally bloom in April, were blooming in February. And then there was the news at the time that the EPA was now pretty much a thing of the past … so the underlying fear that was winter as we’d known it to be might eventually be a thing of the past too. It was right after the election, and so many of us were scared of what the future held. Anyway, I started thinking about how to do a lighthearted take on the anxiety so many of us were feeling … and I came across this ad for fake snow. It brought to mind “fake news” and our new current day reality, so I knew immediately “fake” had to be a part of the title. I ordered some fake snow off of Amazon. Like 90 gallons of it. One thing led to another, and the next thing I knew I was making this picture. I picked out the outfits together with the kids and they also helped me make the fake snow in a wheelbarrow with a garden hose and a giant wooden spoon to stir it.

Fake Weather © Julie Blackmon, Courtesy of Robert Mann Gallery

How do you see the connection between Homegrown and Domestic Vacations? Do you think that Homegrown would be any different if you haven’t made Domestic Vacations in the first place and why?

I suppose I see Homegrown as the sequel to Domestic Vacations. I don’t know how I could’ve made Homegrown without it. Sometimes when I look at that older work in Domestic Vacations, it’s painful for me to look at. I was pushing the boundaries of photoshop, and certain details feel “put in” (like you knew they weren’t really there originally) and some of the pieces could’ve been stronger technically as well. But I think that work was important because it’s where I found my style, my themes, my humor, and that fantastical perspective of everyday life. Also, before DV, my work was mostly documentary. Domestic Vacations was the bridge into another perspective. It really opened up how I saw my life around me. But gradually, as I was working on the Homegrown pictures, there were several different directions I wanted to go in. I wanted to do less photoshop (or at least the suggestion of it) , I wanted to move outside the “home” and to include more than just my family, and I also wanted to back up and do more of a landscape rather than a scene where there was the backdrop of an interior wall.

Chaise © Julie Blackmon, Courtesy of Robert Mann Gallery

Stock Tank © Julie Blackmon, Courtesy of Robert Mann Gallery

Who do you draw inspirations from? Do photographers like Sally Mann who photographs her family influence your artistic approach? And in what ways?

I don’t think I’d ever have become a photographer if it weren’t for Sally Mann. I remember seeing her work in my Photo class in college, when some of her first Immediate Family photos came out. Not only did the images move me, but her words at the time … that her pictures of her family were “the truth told slant” (Emily Dickenson). That one quote influenced how I’ve worked the past 15 years … the idea that fiction can sometimes tell the truth better than the truth itself. Other influences in photography were Keith Carter (finding the magical in the ordinary, becoming comfortable with uncertainty), and Diane Arbus (the dark humor). But then a few years into it, I started looking at Dutch painting. Those paintings inspired me to try an updated take on the genre paintings of the 17th century. Even more recently, my influences come from everywhere, including film and illustrators like Edward Gorey (who wrote “A is for Amy who fell down the stairs”).

Olive & Market © Julie Blackmon, Courtesy of Robert Mann Gallery

Night Movie © Julie Blackmon, Courtesy of Robert Mann Gallery

WCW Questionnaire:

Describe your creative process in one word.

Rubik’s Cube (sorry that’s two words)

If you could teach a one-hour class on anything, what would it be?

Maybe in how to find inspiration in your everyday life (the faux leopard coat my sister just bought from Zara is at the top of my list in terms of props to work into a picture) and how to draw in a larger sense from the artists you love … and turn all of those little bits of inspiration into your own unique voice. The film Nora Ephron’s son made about her, called “Everything is Copy” really resonated with me. When I teach workshops, I always play them a clip. I love her ability to say something that makes you want to laugh and cry at the same time.

What was the last book you read or film you saw that inspired you?

The film “We the Animals” was the best movie I saw last year. Incredibly moving, and incredible cinematography. I was blown away.

What is the most played song in your music library?

Wizard of Oz soundtrack. It just makes me happy.

How do you take your coffee?

Espresso so strong it’s black sludge with equal parts cream