Julie Marks

Profile

Name: Julie Marks
City: Los Angeles
Country: United States

Joined: Oct 2007

My experience as a Psychologist has influenced my avocation as a self-taught photographer using my mind’s eye to view nature’s beauty to project images into my abstract photographs. I use elements of nature including tree bark, rocks, plants, and florals often using my macro lens to create hyper-representational photographs. I have had extensive experience working in hospitals, clinics and teaching. Although I have specialized in psychotherapy with children and adolescents, I have enjoyed a balanced private practice working with all ages, including couples and adults. I appreciate when viewers tell me what they see in my photographic “Rorschach’s”, the most illuminating projective test that can be a very helpful tool, analogous to an x-ray of the mind. It is a complex instrument but used correctly after years of study is a great aid in diagnosing psychological disorders and illuminating the originality and creativity of the artistic mind. It is fascinating and revealing what images the human psyche projects from the conscious and unconscious mind. This imagery is often experienced in dreams and how those images are interpreted reveal important messages through the symbolic language of the unconscious. The best way to know me is to view my gallery and narratives and engage in a relationship sharing feedback and our mutual visions and perceptions. There is often a subtext to the stories I write about. Some of the subjects include science fiction, personal stories about my family, my beloved dogs Molly and Mikey and the mini towns I construct with twisted plots using my own toy collection, buildings and die cast collection. There are continuing stories about my dogs Molly and Mikey and their relationships with fictional characters like the witch, Lillian and La Senora Belladona, a gypsy who describes herself in my photo, “Let Me Introduce Myself” and her dear friend Wanda, an eccentric gypsy turned hippy who will join our family in the Spring. Fictional characters allow me to write stories that often have a subtext and are informative and amusing. I have helped many people on the health boards on the internet and receive e-mails from those who need psychological information, resources for treatment and advise resolving their emotional difficulties. The proceeds derived from consultation will be given to charities I feel are important to the preservation and protection of our planet. I also have started a comic book strip based on our unusual family that includes my dogs Molly and Mikey, Lillian, her Grandwitch, Senora Belladonna, my husband Charlie and my Boglins, fascinating swamp creatures that led me to become a Bogologist. I have studied these weird swamp creatures to learn their secrets that contain special healing properties. The larger species are Dwork, Drool, and Vloob and the smaller species or Petits Boglins are Splat, Squit and Klang. I also create stories about villages I build with my extensive toys, die cast cars, buildings and a cast of strange and twisted characters. Plot twists and interesting experiences and surprises will develop as we observe the dynamics of this very peculiar cast of characters that simulate an internet soap opera. I also enjoy imaginative literature, especially science/fantasy and have created alien landscapes, planets in far away galaxies with narratives about these fictional lands. I use illustrations I perceive under the veneer of bark and stone to create my painterly photographs. I appreciate your comments and feedback about my photographs and narratives that are often an integral part of the total artistic package. I am uploading the photos that represent many categories reflecting my love of nature, animals and the anthropomorphic images of nature. You can see my work on artwanted.com/masterofthemaze. I also write editorials when relevant about political, environmental and medical/psychological issues. The damage done to our planet by people who are consumed by greed, ignorance, cruelty and a frightening lack of compassion is truly alarming. One of my narratives, An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore’s warnings about global warming and imminent destruction to our planet is the title of one of my photos with a narrative that is critically important for us and the future of our children.