PATTERNS AND TONES

"Destination: Palm Springs No. 1" 2018  Part 1 I traveled quite a bit throughout California, Washington State and Texas to see friends and family near and dear to me this year. I visited Palm Springs three times during 2018 and every time I photographed this unique destination in black and white, I was always drawn to the looming San Jacinto Mountain Range on its western edge. This batholith dominates the background of this Sonoran desert town and demands its portrait to be taken. Th light colored Mesozoic granite mountain range is otherworldly, an entity of its own. No wonder The Beast with a Million Eyes, The Monster That Challenged the World, and Blood of Dracula's Castle were all filmed in Palm Springs. I tried to get close to the mountain but most of the property near the base of the mountain is either private property or built so close to it, that it us nearly inaccessible. But I was determined and found a few places in the historic Tennis Court neighborh...

The Checkers are back and playing a show tonight at LA's finest pirate supper club (with thee best Fish and Chips on the Eastside),  The Redwood Bar and Grill !!! The night will be hosted by sonic siren Asia Muka  with a musical line up that includes Sirens in the Night (with  Jail Weddings members) and those fabulously loud and snotty  Tenement Rats . To wrap the night up in a bow, sonic gold DJ John Tyree with be spinning records all night long for your listening pleasure. It's been three years since we've last set foot on stage and in honor of this rare occasion and as a Christmas gift, I thought I would share with you flyers from The Checker's past and present. Happy holidays and I hope to see you at The Redwood! Julie Green Lead Singer of The Checkers December 15, 2018

"Flora as Fashion: Naomi White" 2018 The last stitched portrait of 2018 is a work in progress that has taken on a life of its own. At first I had the nylon flower petal hat's of the sixties in mind but it grew into a snood of sorts. It certainly is a bridge between my "Home as Hat" and "Flora as Fashion" series , combining both elements of a hat and foliage as the structure of the garment. My dear friend, the lovely and talented artist  Naomi White  graciously posed for this portrait. We have been friends and photographers for 3 decades. As an educator, intersectional feminist and visual artist Naomi has always been very observant of herself and the world around her. She has continually produced a translation of her cross current narratives in vibrant and unique ways. In a way I am happy to show you a work in progress. Not all pieces can be completed in a week and with the holidays upon us, time has become a rare commodity. I will continu...

"Flora as Fashion: Alyssa Taylor Wendt" 2018 This week, an ombré cropped cardigan-like shrug began to emerge from this portrait I had taken as I studied it's structure. Although this shrug enveloped only one of her shoulders, I could see how this knitted sweater could conceivably be worn like this. The tendrils of the vines added a unique element to this construction and I accented the berries in a coordinating mustard yellow color. Artist, scénariste, and presence -  Alyssa Taylor Wendt  graciously covered herself in shrubbery for my project. A long time friend and a highly creative, original and feisty hot tamal, Alyssa now lives in Austin, TX and is a part of the artist run  ICOSA Collective . Ms. Alyssa was also in a band called Panda in San Francisco. Recalling the power of the blue chakra, I decided to color this piece in honor of this singer and healer. As I was photographing her, I recalled her body of work " Compartments of Desire " which consi...

"Flora as Fashion: V. Marc Fortress" 2018 When I sit down to embroider a portrait, several elements influence what shape, color and pattern I eventually use to embellish each piece. The characteristics of the vegetation I have chosen to place my subjects in front of is the most influential element that helps to shape the garment and influence its eventual pattern. The color selection is often determined from the historical reference a particular piece of clothing conveys. Yet the one component that has the greatest impact on all of these elements is the personality of the subject I have photographed. In this portrait of V. Marc Fortress, I placed him in front of this bush because I was attracted to its structural branches and repeating patterns that reminded me of V. Marc's dreads . But it is his smooth, warm, engaging personality that lead me to the shape of the super hero cape. If more people were like V. Marc, we would be living in a peaceful and just world. W...

"Flora as Fashion: Lola Carroll" 2018 I'm back in the stitching saddle again, creating more pieces in anticipation of an exhibition of this body of work in 2019!  I was inspired to photograph several friends for this series while I was visiting Texas in August. Lola graciously posed for me while we were visiting Blue Hole , a swimming spot in Wimberely, TX. The clear water was in stark juxtaposition to the swamp-like foliage that surrounded the swimming hole. The water was chilly but exhilarating. Being surrounded by old-growth cypress trees dripping in spanish moss while swimming was a novel experience for me.  While I was thinking about the memories my friend Lola and I have shared over the years, t his bridal veil began to take shape out of the foliage in the photograph. I remembered photographing Lola's wedding back in the 9T's in the Palace of Fine Arts  Rotunda and capturing her own veil as it blew vertically straight up into the air. It...

                         With the new release of their remastered album " Hallucinations " on Omnivore Recordings , Permanent Green Light are back from the 9T's.  Along with a collection of out of print favorites and unreleased demo trax,  this new compilation is also packed with rare photographs and ephemera for fans to enjoy. I recently photograph the band in picturesque San Pedro.  Michael Quercio and Matt Devine kindly gave me an interview giving us a chance to catch up and fill in the blanks on the past, present and future.  I'm absolutely thrilled  to present to you one of  Southern California's seminal bands: Permanent Green Light.  Julie Green November 3, 2018 Julie Green: What was the impetus to release these remastered recordings now? Matt: I attended The Quick  pane...

Another recent cover that includes photography I shot is on this new compilation from my favorite Bay Area punks - The Mr. T Experience. "Shards" Volume Two - Pieces of The Mr. T Experience 1985-1999 is an amazing collection out on Sounds Rad Records . Like Volume I, this record contains 16 bonus tracks that had appeared on various MTX CD's over the years but had never made it to their full length LPs. For a complete history on how this occured, please visit Dr. Frank's blog here  and here ! I photographed Dr. Frank , Joel Reader and Jym Pittman for the 7th MTX LP back in 1997. It was shot in my old photo studio inside The Warfield Building which also housed the famous Warfield Theatre . The studio on Market Street in San Francisco was situated right between the two ladies on the outside of the building's facade. Outtakes from that photo shoot are also included on both Volume I and II inserts. Julie Green October 27, 2018 Inside Volume I ...

I was delighted to photograph most of Los Straightjackets  last year for the cover of their record " What's So Funny About Peace, Love and... Los Straitjackets " on North Carolina's finest independent record label Yep Roc Records . The marriage between masterful songs written by Nick Lowe and the bands gorgeous handling of instrumental arrangements, Los Straightjackets have expertly crafted an incredible surf rock album that will make you wanna play it over and over again. Three cheers to Johnny Barlett of California for hooking me up with these masked marauders! We had a whole lot of fun photographing them at the famous PowWow Fun Room in Mar Vista, CA. Eddie Angel, Chris Sprague, Greg Townson and Pete Curry are just the greatest group of guys you would ever want to hang out with! Los Straightjackets are currently floating on a boat with Big Sandy down  The Baja Bop Red Hot Rockin' Cruise to Mexico until the 21st and they recently backed Nick Lowe on...

What a thrill it was to be in Seattle when The Fastbacks were playing Sub Pop's 30th Anniversary Music Festival ! It was if no time had gone by since I last saw them play at The Bottom of The Hill in San Francisco a few years back (try 20). But their energy and unpretentiousness was still there and it was a joy ride from the first song to the last. Below is a quick interview I did with Kurt Bloch who graciously gave me his time and insight into this pioneering Seattle band! Julie Green October 6, 2018 Julie Green: Did you grow up in Seattle? Kurt Block: Yes indeed - Sand Point over there by Lake City! JG: How his it NOT changed over the years? KB: Well, kind hard to say. In the last few years some of the last outposts of the city I grew up in have been usurped by "progress". I don't mourn the passing of EVERY old building or business of the old days, but it's getting pretty dire out there. The "regular" places are really getting...

"Caspers Famous Hot Dogs - South Hayward No. 1" 2018 In my final entry this month on the structures of the San Francisco Bay Area's famous Caspers Hot Dog chain, I decided to feature this 1950's location last, as its architectural elements are unique and stand out from the others. It's octagonal facade is also lined with flagstone, but unlike the previous locations which featured flat slabs or boulder shaped rock, the flagstone at this location were chiseled into brick shaped rectangles. This was a pretty common material used for building facades at the time and is neatly stacked, much like the brick facades of its neighbors. The roof is neither gabled like the ranch-style of their Pleasant Hill location, nor incorporated into the trapezoid shaped buildings that were constructed in Dublin , Albany , and North Hayward . It looks to me like a pretty standard flat roofed 50's diner with its stripped edge. What really sets this location apart is its orig...

"Fuji" from Apples in August 22 x 17" Archival pigment print © Julie Green I am thrilled to announce that I will be exhibiting and selling eight prints from Artichokes and Apples in August series at Counter Culture in Austin, TX The opening reception is tomorrow, September 27th from 7-9pm Counter Culture 2337 Cesar Chaves St. E Austin, TX 78702 512-524-1540 I will be flying in for the opening. If you are in town, I hope to see you there! Julie Green September 26, 2018

“Caspers Famous Hot Dogs - North Hayward No. 1” 2018 Who knew Hayward, CA was such a special place? It boasts not one but two Caspers Famous Hot Dog stands! This 60's gem sits on Foothill Boulevard north of it's first location. Its shingled siding and iconographic logo are accented by its neighbor's Googie signage that rises three stories above its roof line. I couldn't help but think that Hayward Tools and Equipment must have been a converted carwash. This location was packed with patrons. The smell of their delishious hot dogs permeated the parking lot making it hard to shoot the subject! It was clear that this was the best location out of all the Caspars I had visited. The Boulevard was busy with commuters racing to the freeway entrance just a few blocks away. It was a great pleasure to photograph this location and a bit of a challenge to frame this structure around its towering neighbor. Two architectural visions from various eras vying for your patrona...