jules bates

model: paulet fe. clothes: marlene stuart
image © jules bates


best known for his fashion photography in the 70s, the work of LA photographer
jules bates was an ambiguous mixture of painting, photography and make up design.
however, the experimental nature of his pieces also rendered many of his photographs
as commercial failures as his peripheral design elements often overshadowed the clothing
in visual hierarchy.




image © jules bates


bates continued to sustain himself with work for record companies, generating album
photo covers and through formal portrait photography. his lists of portraits taken included
such individuals as buckminister fuller, howard devoto, charles bikowski, pee wee herman
and johanna went. however it was it was his love for fashion photography that became
his primary source of creative departure from the ordinary.




album cover with 'devo' wearing flower pots on their head.
for bates, album jackets helped pay the bills.
image © jules bates


jules bates studied at the art center school of design in pasadena, california where he met
his business partner and later estranged girlfriend phyllis cohen. working together, cohen
would often use paint to design because the color was more intense than ordinary makeup
in bates's photographs. meanwhile, backgrounds designed by bates would reflect the motifs
created by cohen. as a result, people were often confused by what medium they were looking
at  - a photograph or a painting.



'80s b/w fashion photo is charged with graphic power which dominates the 'burger 'n fries' melrose chic
image © jules bates


in their final installment of digitizing punk publication nomag, reserve - an LA based flagship
store and gallery -  just put online a past issue dedicated to the passing of photographer jules bates,
who was a large contributor to the magazine. jules was killed in a motorcycle accident while
either leaving or arriving to his photo studio at 4th and normandie in los angeles on september
26th, 1982. this issue features lots of his photography, as well as an obituary written by bruce kalberg .



model: lena pousette, makeup by phyllis cohen
image © jules bates