PUNK, art, music, old movies, men, am a struggling raw foods vegan. What else is there?
Ramones -- Johnny, Dee Dee and Jenny Lens, Whiskey, February 20, 1977.
Screamers Tomata du Plenty and Sheila Edwards, Roxy, July 20, 1979. My birthday, while hallucinating on 'shrooms! I don't know how I focused. I almost threw out the film, but turned out to be among the very best I ever shot. How I miss 'shrooms!
Dee Dee and Joan Jett, 1977, Whiskey (either August or October. A couple of Nuns from San Francisco were also in shots. Anyone know when the Ramones and Nuns were in LA together in 1977?).
Joey Ramone and Jenny, August, 1976.
The Boomtown Rats singer, Sir Bob Geldof, copping a feel, February 1979. (see more pix of us on my blog)
I'd like to meet:
Collectors and supporters of the early punk scene, LA, NY and England. I need help/volunteers/college interns/westside scanning helpers. Plus live wherever but help with Final Cut Express editor for Podcasts and/OR Joomla programmers for new blog.
Look, I have tons of pix and stories to share, but I am spending FAR too much time just figuring out software! Ok? DO NOT contact me to find out the history or gossip. I'm working 24/7 to share my archive and create a resource center for everyone. It's a lot of work but fun if you have the right spirit. Do you??
Darby at the Masque, Nov 23, 1977.
Jenny and Iggy, summer 1977.
Jenny Lens and Tomata du Plenty of the Screamers, Sept 17, 1977.
Jenny and Patti Smith
Masque graffiti.
I answer email faster, if you write me , not on myspace!This site is DEDICATED TO MY PHOTOS FROM 1976 -1980 . PLEASE SHARE YOUR STORIES on comments. You send wonderful emails that no one else sees. Please share your memories, whether you were here or born later or whatever.
Music:
Punk, mostly the early pioneers. Or great covers like the Argentian release of "Todos Somos," a two set CD of Ramones covers. They used, with my permission, several of my early and rare Ramones shots. And I love all the live Screamers CDs from synthpunk.com. Bags, X, Weirdos, Blondie, Joan Jett, Clash, Pistols, Gang of Four, Television, Talking Heads, Patti, Dangerhouse CDs, TSOL, Manic Hispanic -- constantly listen to CDs. And Indie 103.1, but usually only Jonesy, Joe Sib, Rob Zombie, Mr. Shovel's new bands, etc. The louder, the faster, the better. Anything to keep my energy level up and remind me why I'm working so hard on my photos.
Movies:
Alice Bag, February 24, 1978.Most anything from the silent era to WWII. The great black and white movies, especially when sound first came in and they were fast and racy! Sex and drugs! Garbo, Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Jimmy Cagney, Bogie, John Garfield: they had faces then. The racier, the funnier, the better! Preston Sturges, Ernst Lubitsch, Billy Wilder: the usual suspects. Film noir, Fred and Ginger, Busby Berkelely musicals. Early Marx brothers. No more time to write in detail.
Television:
"Desperate Housewives" is so fucking funny and honest! "Entourage" is sweet and funny. "Dead Like Me" insightful and thought-provoking, with gutsy acting. "Kept" cos Jerry Hall is funny and fascinating and a rare glimpse into how the very rich rockers live with class and style. Rare, old films on TCM (Turner Classic ovies), but they are repeating too many films. "6 Feet Under " is almost unbearable, like a train wreck. What else is there?
Books:
Authors Anais Nin, Henry Miller, Herman Hesse, Mark Twain and anything dealing with punk rock, even if I don't agree with them or they misrepresent LA or leave us out entirely. And art and movie history.
Heroes:
Ramones, Clash, Screamers, and visual artists who live on the edge. BARACK and MICHELLE OBAMA!! JIMMY CARTER, the GREATEST president of the US. All those who stand up to the current repressive regime of both Republicans and Democrats who put greedy corporate interests in front of the people, animals, plants of our precious Mother Earth.All the women who finally find their voice and live their own lives, no matter their upbringing, their finances, but who create meaning in this world, and the too-few men who work with them and love and accept them.Raymond Leon Roker is one of my friends who believed in me when I needed it.Archivist/musician David Jones and artist Michael Pilmer who patiently pushed me to resurface and get my photos into the world. And others who found me -- especially the wonderful ever-growing circle of women who embrace my energy and ideas as they too struggle to become their own person. Someday I'll meet men who won't be afraid of my individuality and strength and who call when they say they will and they will be heroic! Without my dear friends, who've encouraged my growth as a woman and artist, these photos would still be hidden. Bless you all!
