The eldest of nine children as well as the mother of three, Julie Blackmon regularly uses her family as models for her carefully choreographed and staged images, creating fantasies in which they each play a part. Her scenes often appear familiar initially, but upon closer inspection convey a slightly uncanny aura that sensationalizes the everyday experience of life in mid-America.
A relative departure from her usual process of selecting and testing a setting before rounding up models and staging the shoot, Stock Tank came about as a happy accident. An aunt’s invitation to swim in her makeshift pool provided Blackmon an opportunity to experiment with a new vantage point and capture the simple revelry of a beloved childhood pastime.