Julie Blackmon: Domestic Vacations November 3 — December 30, 2006

We are pleased to present our first exhibition of work by Julie Blackmon, whose images of her children, nieces, nephews and friends, have captivated the photo world. Blackmon, herself the oldest of nine children, balances her role as a mother of three and an artist, referencing family life and the environment it creates. Chaos, disorder, fantasies, gatherings, game playing,.....all of these scenarios dominate Domestic Vacations, Blackmon's new photographic series.

Julie Blackmon's work can best be described in her own words:

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. The paintings of Steen, along with those of other Dutch and Flemish genre painters, helped inspire this body of work. I am the oldest of nine children and now the mother of three. 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.

Through these large color images, we enter a world of fantasy, where things never seem quite right. Like Alice in her wonderland, Blackmon's children appear in reality and fantasy, engrossed in their created worlds. These are curious images we make us pause, question, laugh, reflect and smile. Through Domestic Vacations, we enter a world of children and their toys, firmly grounded in the year 2006.

All images prior to 2011 are available in various sizes. Square format pieces are available as 22 x 22" and 32 x 32" pigment prints made in editions of 25 and 10, respectively. Horizontal images are available as 22 x 29", 32 x 42" and 40 x 53" pigments prints made in editions of 25, 10 and 5, respectively. Pieces range in price from $3100 to $10,000, depending on size and availability.

Please call: (312) 266-2350 for prices of specific pieces.
Prices are print only unless otherwise indicated.