To find beauty in everyday objects is a skill. To capture that beauty is an art.
We recently stumbled across photographer, Julia Stotz’s photo series, aptly titled ‘Future Classics’, and thought it was so intriguing and of-the-moment, we wanted to share it here.
The genre-bending series pairs a classic still-life aesthetic with the modern weirdness that is plastic produce packaging. Fresh produce is flecked with subtle licks of acrylic color and arranged on vintage surfaces. Altogether, it’s clever, silly and gives us a total thrill.
We caught up with this talented photog, who has spent time behind the lens for design-rich brands from Bon Appetit to airbnb, to talk all things art and L.A. Explore the music and museums that keeps her creativity flowing, and the foodie reading material you should be reading next…
Name:
Julia Stotz
To get the creative juices flowing I…
Usually read a book, look through food magazines, take a yoga class or go on a neighborhood walk.
Daily necessity:
I love the routine of waking up and making myself a cup of coffee. If I can, I try to have all the windows and doors open in my house/studio. The light and breeze always motivate me.
My favorite current project is:
Future Classics, a personal project shot this summer with food stylist Casey Dobbins (aka @mrs__tasty) that recreates classic still-life arrangements set with contemporary objects. The photographs focus on the beauty of local produce by painting acrylic directly onto the fruit like it’s art unto itself.
Favorite job/shoot this year:
I worked with food stylist Caroline Hwang on the poster artwork for the PBS’s documentary SEED, about the decline of biodiversity in our seeds. It was a creative job about an issue that we are both passionate about.
Favorite objects in the studio:
Polaroids that my fiancé and I have taken together throughout our various travels, a special fortune cookie about my career and a Jason Polan mini drawing I won.
Latest inspirations:
Colorful glass refractions, California plant life, soft dyed linen and perishing fruits.
Soundtrack in the studio:
Sza, Frank Ocean, Fleet Foxes and a mix of jazz, French pop and various podcasts.
Most common visitors to the studio:
My fiancé, Brian Guido – who is also a photographer and shares the space – and my friend/food stylist/neighbor, Caroline Hwang who brings me fresh produce from her garden or fermented things.
Favorite spots in the neighborhood:
Collage Coffee, Hermosillo Brewery, Namaste Yoga, Huarache Azteca, Ramen on York and Glassell Park Pool.
Other artists inspiring me right now:
Kerry James Marshall’s retrospective; Jessica Dance’s knitted foods; Aziz Ansari’s Master of None, season 2; Ruth Reichl’s novels; and Jessica Koslow’s Everything I Want to Eat cookbook.
When I’m not in the studio I am here:
Finding the next soup dumpling spot in the San Gabriel Valley, hiking on the East Side, drinking wine al fresco with friends or traveling.
My art supply obsession:
My iPhone, Fujifillm X-T2 for travel, Muji pens and various Japanese stationery notebooks.
Favorite art galleries / museums in the city:
The Broad, Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens, LACMA, MOCA and the Natural History Museum.
Currently reading:
Alice, Let’s Eat by Calvin Trillin, The Mothers by Brit Bennett and California Sunday Magazine.
Organizational items I can’t live without:
These apps: Keep for to-do lists; HabitShare for setting personal goals; Buy Me a Pie for groceries; Dropbox to access and save all my photos; and Instagram for bookmarking inspirational images and places to eat next!
Get to know more artists and photographers we love with our ‘In The Studio” series here!
