<Biography>

I have always had a passion for photography. My father gave me my first camera when I was 9. It was a Brownie Six-20 box camera. I took lots of snapshots of my family, friends and scenes while I was growing up.
Photography has been an underlying thread throughout my life and has played a major role in my experiences and adventures. My interest in people, psychology, philosophy and cultures that led to my choice of a career in psychology and social work, is completely consistent with my fascination for portraiture and the human condition in my photographs. I had always kind of dabbled in arts and crafts and later exhibited my wood-cuts and lithographs in many outdoor shows. I never seriously studied art as in my family this could only be a hobby. It was when my first son was born that I expressed a desire for a "real" camera. I was then using a $3.00 Brownie that someone had given my Dad as a promotional gift. This image was made with that camera. In 1963 when I was a Stay-at-Home mother, I became actively involved in the American Association of University Women. Because of my "artsy-craftsy" tendencies they made me the chairperson of their Creative Arts Committee. I entered this image in a statewide creative arts festival and to my amazement, won First Prize in Photography! I became interested in learning more and took an adult school class which also taught the beginnings of darkroom work. A group of us from that class went on to form the Livingston (NJ) Camera Club to continue learning and furthering our skills. From that grew many shows, awards, a gold medal and eventually several one-woman shows. In 1972 at a show in Mystic, CT., I exhibited wood-cuts, lithographs and some photographs. I won First Prize in Photography. That was when I switched my focus exclusively to photography and converted my laundry room into a darkroom. In 1976, I was invited to show my work in a wonderful French Restaurant called Joie de Vivre in Chatham Township, NJ which had an avant-garde ambiance and was owned and run by two women. This was somewhat unusual back then. There was the exciting aroma of fabulous French flavors and the heady aura of a new feminism. What a time! I was thrilled to be a part of it. For several years I concentrated on raising my children and working full-time as a school social worker, but continued to develop and show my work when I could. I sometimes took portraits of children which I loved doing but enjoyed photographing them where they were most comfortable and where I felt I could capture a personality, as opposed to studio portraits. During this period I worked on several projects and took some courses at The New School and at ICP (International Center of Photography). I was very fortunate to have had some awesome teachers, i.e: Lisette Model, George Tice, Lucien Clergue, Arthur Tress, Ralph Gibson and Susan Kleckner. I learned something unique and valuable from each of them. One of the projects I created was a book about a child growing up in a circus in a family of trapeze artists. They were with a small, traveling circus and over time I lost their itinerary. Several years later, I learned that the family had made it into the big time and were stars of the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus. I re-established contact with "The Flying Farias" and continued photographing them during performances and backstage. When I took Arthur Tress' course in "The Art of The Photographic Book", he felt that my images were worthy of publication and introduced me to an agent who promptly secured a contract for me with Wanderer Books, a subsidiary of Simon and Schuster. Talk about flying on a cloud! However, it was not meant to be. In spite of concentrated efforts I was unable to obtain updated model releases and without them the book could not be published. In 1980, the project, "Julio's World" was abandoned and my heart was broken. When the Soho Photo Gallery opened in New York (one of the first galleries devoted exclusively to photography) a friend urged me to submit a portfolio but I didn't think my work was good enough. I finally did, in 1981, and became an active member there. I exhibited there in several group and solo shows but eventually had to leave due to financial restraints. In 1991, I entered a new phase of life. I became a grandmother! When I became a grandmother for the first time, I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about it. When this baby was about 2 weeks old, I recall holding her on my lap and talking to her. All of a sudden, I felt this rush of intense love and I said to her, "How can I love you so much when I don't even know you?" You can imagine that I took copious photographs of her, documenting every move she made. When I witnessed the arrival of my second granddaughter, 5 years later, I fell in love with her the moment I watched her enter this world. I cried! In February of 2000, I found myself in the middle of a nightmare. I was arrested for taking nude photos of these two children, who were then 3 and 8. They were staying with me overnight and getting ready for bed; clowning around, dancing and showing off their Britney Spears "moves", etc. I, of course, was snapping away. I took the roll of film to be developed and when I went to pick it up, the police had set up a "stake-out" for me! I was charged with 7 counts of child endangerment. The rest of the story can be found at www.naked-truths.com , in the book "NAKED TRUTHS" by Marian Rubin, or by searching the internet under my name. Since that time, I have a third granddaughter and I shoot only digital.

I have always had a passion for photography. My father gave me my first camera when I was 9. It was a Brownie Six-20 box camera. I took lots of snapshots of my family, friends and scenes while I was growing up.

Photography has been an underlying thread throughout my life and has played a major role in my experiences and adventures. My interest in people, psychology, philosophy and cultures that led to my choice of a career in psychology and social work, is completely consistent with my fascination for portraiture and the human condition in my photographs.

I had always kind of dabbled in arts and crafts and later exhibited my wood-cuts and lithographs in many outdoor shows. I never seriously studied art as in my family this could only be a hobby.

It was when my first son was born that I expressed a desire for a "real" camera. I was then using a $3.00 Brownie that someone had given my Dad as a promotional gift. This image was made with that camera.

In 1963 when I was a Stay-at-Home mother, I became actively involved in the American Association of University Women. Because of my "artsy-craftsy" tendencies they made me the chairperson of their Creative Arts Committee. I entered this image in a statewide creative arts festival and to my amazement, won First Prize in Photography!

I became interested in learning more and took an adult school class which also taught the beginnings of darkroom work. A group of us from that class went on to form the Livingston (NJ) Camera Club to continue learning and furthering our skills. From that grew many shows, awards, a gold medal and eventually several one-woman shows.

In 1972 at a show in Mystic, CT., I exhibited wood-cuts, lithographs and some photographs. I won First Prize in Photography. That was when I switched my focus exclusively to photography and converted my laundry room into a darkroom.

In 1976, I was invited to show my work in a wonderful French Restaurant called Joie de Vivre in Chatham Township, NJ which had an avant-garde ambiance and was owned and run by two women. This was somewhat unusual back then. There was the exciting aroma of fabulous French flavors and the heady aura of a new feminism. What a time! I was thrilled to be a part of it.

For several years I concentrated on raising my children and working full-time as a school social worker, but continued to develop and show my work when I could. I sometimes took portraits of children which I loved doing but enjoyed photographing them where they were most comfortable and where I felt I could capture a personality, as opposed to studio portraits.

During this period I worked on several projects and took some courses at The New School and at ICP (International Center of Photography). I was very fortunate to have had some awesome teachers, i.e: Lisette Model, George Tice, Lucien Clergue, Arthur Tress, Ralph Gibson and Susan Kleckner. I learned something unique and valuable from each of them.

One of the projects I created was a book about a child growing up in a circus in a family of trapeze artists. They were with a small, traveling circus and over time I lost their itinerary. Several years later, I learned that the family had made it into the big time and were stars of the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus. I re-established contact with "The Flying Farias" and continued photographing them during performances and backstage. When I took Arthur Tress' course in "The Art of The Photographic Book", he felt that my images were worthy of publication and introduced me to an agent who promptly secured a contract for me with Wanderer Books, a subsidiary of Simon and Schuster. Talk about flying on a cloud! However, it was not meant to be. In spite of concentrated efforts I was unable to obtain updated model releases and without them the book could not be published. In 1980, the project, "Julio's World" was abandoned and my heart was broken.

When the Soho Photo Gallery opened in New York (one of the first galleries devoted exclusively to photography) a friend urged me to submit a portfolio but I didn't think my work was good enough. I finally did, in 1981, and became an active member there. I exhibited there in several group and solo shows but eventually had to leave due to financial restraints.

In 1991, I entered a new phase of life. I became a grandmother! When I became a grandmother for the first time, I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about it. When this baby was about 2 weeks old, I recall holding her on my lap and talking to her. All of a sudden, I felt this rush of intense love and I said to her, "How can I love you so much when I don't even know you?" You can imagine that I took copious photographs of her, documenting every move she made.

When I witnessed the arrival of my second granddaughter, 5 years later, I fell in love with her the moment I watched her enter this world. I cried!

In February of 2000, I found myself in the middle of a nightmare. I was arrested for taking nude photos of these two children, who were then 3 and 8. They were staying with me overnight and getting ready for bed; clowning around, dancing and showing off their Britney Spears "moves", etc. I, of course, was snapping away. I took the roll of film to be developed and when I went to pick it up, the police had set up a "stake-out" for me! I was charged with 7 counts of child endangerment. The rest of the story can be found at www.naked-truths.com , in the book "NAKED TRUTHS" by Marian Rubin, or by searching the internet under my name.

Since that time, I have a third granddaughter and I shoot only digital.

(These are photographs that were taken on September 11, 2001 and on the days immediately following).