You already know Ruby Ray's iconic and haunting photos whether you realize it or not. Her striking black and white portraits of the punk and literary artworld underground capture a lost chaos that are so well composed they look like dream stills. She collaborated with V. Vale for many years on the Search and Destroy Magazine issues and Research Magazine books in which her photos have appeared. She continues to photograph and sells limited edition prints of her work through the La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles. Ruby Ray is articulate, prolific and fascinating and I could have asked her a million questions but she was gracious enough to answer the following ones.

Punk Globe:: I love your vintage 80s black and white prints of the San Francisco punk scene. When did you get into photographing the punk scene?

RUBY: In 1977 I met Vale at Tower records when he came in with the first copy of Search and Destroy to sell. I did my first photo shoot with the Dils a week later. They blew me away and I was hooked!

Punk Globe::: Who was Ivey? Ginger and my hubby Paul said you used to hang out with her all the time.

RUBY: Ivey was my best pal since Buffalo, where we met working in a record store. She was 17 and I was 19. Then we came to San Francisco in 1974 and both started working at Tower Records! Funny what influence music stores have had on my destiny. I pulled her into S&D where she handled the bookkeeping. The local media ignored and ridiculed us, so the only way to find out what punk events were happening at the time was through the phone tree or posters on poles. So Ivey started the Punk Calendar, which was our lifeline and a source of entertainment. She also put out the Jokes for Jerks calendar, which was totally unPC. Sadly she passed away in 2005.

Punk Globe::: What do you miss about the late 70s/early 80s?

RUBY: Working and playing with an amazing circus of intense, creative, and often wild people, and having some of the most fun times of my life. Many of them are gone from us now. But interestingly, I am finding that the old school who are still here, are starting to connect again, and that is great! We still know how to have fun, we just have to go to bed earlier! I still like to stir things up a bit…

Punk Globe::: Are you formally trained in art and photography? Where did you go to school?

RUBY: I am a drop out from 3 colleges, and basically self-educated. I did study photography for a year at City College, mainly to use the darkroom and equipment. I am a voracious reader and poured over art books to study what made certain art great. In my younger days I loved Life Magazine and later the fantasy photography of 60’s Vogue.

Punk Globe::: Where are you from and are you from an artsy family or did you rebel against a conservative background?

RUBY: I grew up in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York. My working class upbringing was religious, fairly conservative and fun, hardly artsy. But I was always independent and self-sufficient. I was the oldest of 7 kids. But I wasn’t rebelling against it; I just needed to be free from all the babysitting! I knew very little of art as a kid and was mostly concerned with the Beatles. But my granny made a lot of our clothes, which were very beautiful, and certainly her work ethic inspired me. I have always been an optimist in an unfair world where truth is relative.

Punk Globe::: Did you contribute many photos to Search and Destroy?

RUBY: Yes, I am in every issue except #1. I was a staff photographer but also did page layouts, brainstormed, answered mail, housed bands and had meetings in our living room, etc. The magazine was a collaboration of many people.

Punk Globe::: What do you think of Diane Arbus? I love her work.

RUBY: I would say my vision is the opposite of hers…

Punk Globe::: What about some of the greats like Brassai, Cartier-Bresson, Weegee, Richard Avedon, Robert Mapplethorpe, Richard Kern, Joel Peter Witkin, Chester Simpson, Charles Gatewood and Larry Clark the guy who shot that book Tulsa. Which of these photographers do you admire and what photographers have influenced you?

RUBY: Back in the 70’s, Cartier-Bresson’s concept of the decisive moment was highly influential to me in conserving film and disciplining my awareness. For insight into new subject matter, I looked to Man Ray and the surrealist movement in Paris during the 20’s, and to the symbolists of the Victorian era. For composition, Russian constructivists and cubist painters taught me a lot. The joie de vie of Henry Miller mixed with the situationists utopian vision was important. I was very enamored of De Chirico’s shadows and my friend, photographer Robbe Grey, showed me how to achieve black shadows and the high contrast look I desired. Gatewood and Kern later became friends… I was really trying to find my own look..

Punk Globe::: I really love Larry Clark work who shot Tulsa. Charles Gatewood (who I interviewed for Juxtapoz years ago knew him back in the day.) Tulsa is an AMAZING book and so ahead of its time. Have you seen it?

RUBY: Larry Clark Is hardcore and has a great eye, but I only discovered him later…

Punk Globe:: I've read that some punk scene photographers have problems with people using their work without permission. Have you come across this and how do you protect your work? Watermarks? Not uploading it at all? Just concentrating on selling prints?

RUBY: I have a continuing problem with many people using my Burroughs image without permission, and I did get a lawyer to help me in that regard. On the other hand I have freely put many of my images up on Facebook, and also premiered a photo/video I made on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKUzLUzu_oc
Universal access is somewhat inevitable, but I hope for the best. I do use a watermark on some pictures now. I have recently begun making limited editions of my punk photos. That is the only way to get beautiful signed prints made by the artist that will become more valuable with time.

Punk Globe:: Diane Arbus made those silver tone prints, I think, what kind of black and white prints do you make?

RUBY: I developed and printed all my own B&W film and silver print photographs, and experimented with printing processes like solarization until the late 80’s. I also shot lots of color infrared film in the 80’s but it was discontinued. Eventually the chemicals got to me and affected my health. I didn’t really start going through my punk negatives till 2003 when I got a digital scanner, and now I use an Epson printer. All my prints are pigment on archival fiber paper. I still shoot film though, and will continue until they discontinue it. I have a Nikon FM and also like to use plastic cameras. I have a Russian panoramic camera too.

Punk Globe:: Tell me about your recent show at La Luz de Jesus! is that your gallery now? Is the show still up and for how long? What do you think of fabulous Billy Shire?

RUBY: This was an extremely fortuitous experience that I hope will continue. Billy Shire is a rare and gracious individual who both inspires his artists and makes them money! I was very happy to have a show there, the opening was so much fun!

Punk Globe:: What music do you listen to nowadays?

RUBY: After my son took over my music system, I just started listening to youtube videos. I like oddball stuff like Philip Glass' Akhenaton. Santigold is a recent favorite. I tend to gravitate to the music my friends make. Older music is the best and live music is better. Punk was meant to be a live experience.

Punk Globe:: Do you watch any Reality T.V. Shows? Which ones?

RUBY: I haven’t watched TV for years unless it’s something like 9-11 or the New Orleans hurricane disaster. I am always working on new images… Being creative keeps me from going crazy!

Punk Globe:: Is punk dead?

RUBY: It will never be the way it was those first years, but the impulse will carry on until we no longer do. There will always be rebels to protect the free spirit.

Punk Globe:: Do you have a website? How can people buy your prints?

RUBY: Lq Luz de Jesus in Los Angeles is handling my punk prints for now. The photographs are available on their website. http://www.laluzdejesus.com/newshows/2010/ I don’t have a gallery for my new work yet. It’s completely different from my punk work. Watch for me!

Punk Globe:: Did you used to go out with Vale?

RUBY: Vale and I started living together shortly after meeting, and collaborated on all the S&D issues with our other volunteer staff. We co-founded Re/Search, but eventually parted when I moved to NYC in 1982.

Punk Globe:: Did you know Devo and Genesis P-orridge ? Some of your pictures look very spontaneous. While others look like portraits.. Were you friends with most of the people you took pictures of or did you photograph them simultaneously when Vale was interviewing them for Search and Destroy?

RUBY: Being a Photographer for Search and Destroy gave me access to many people, they respected what we were doing. We were peers and co-conspirators. Interviews and photos were usually separate, but I did get assignments. Sometimes I shot spontaneously, like in the clubs. Other times a photo session was set up that took place in some interesting location I chose, where spontaneity was a natural effect. You have to be on watch… People were cooperative because they knew about Search and Destroy. I met Genesis in London and went to his house. I hung out with Devo and everybody else too. There were varying levels of friendship.. You have to understand that in the beginning, we really didn’t know each other that well. We were crawling from the woodwork, finding each other little by little. We brought in our friends; it was like a secret club, who was doing what and what bands were starting. It was slightly competitive but supportive.

Punk Globe:: Did you used to go to punk shows with a camera around your neck?

RUBY: Oh, Yes! I was taking as many pictures as I could afford, but I didn’t have much money so I had to make each picture count.

Punk Globe:: Oh and what do you think about Annie Leibovitz' financial problems?

RUBY: Did you like her early work in Rolling Stone? I think her Vanity Fair pictures are still compelling. . I lived to read Rolling Stone magazine while I was still living at my parents place, and I remember being shocked by her Lennon Ono photo. But after she started doing credit cards ads, I outright disliked her, even though there was an Egyptian related photo of hers that I was jealous I didn’t get to take! I don’t fault her for going bankrupt, just for selling out.

Punk Globe: would like to thank Ruby Ray for the wonderful and informative interview....