Julia Fox

"...Is a mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event – either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event."

New York City born and raised artist Julia Fox presents her newest body of photographs that reveal transgressive truths centering on the dysfunction of communities of the American South. Fox actively investigates themes of vulnerability and hedonism associated with ritualistic Bayou culture, uncovering the anxieties and pressures contained within. The resulting works feel raw and unfiltered; the uncanny juxtapositions constituting a violent exploration into the trauma of reality in itself. Tuning into the psyches of her subjects, Fox’s photographs convey a strong sensory impulse, attacking the body with emotion and facilitating the process of questioning.

Fox’s collaborators have personal histories intricately tied to and affected by the pervasive devastation of the Post- Katrina landscape. Through her close cultivation of relationships with numerous residents, Fox visually realizes the separation, self-destruction and memory of the people of Louisiana, mirroring the displacement of herself. The nostalgia and tenderness of the rooms and domestic settings offer a democratizing framing element, implicating the viewer in the intimacy of the captured moment.

Fox is both visitor and active participant in the lives of her subject-if only for a brief period of time. She examines the boundaries within this group, simultaneously looking from the outside in and vice versa as she lives among and relates to the individuals in her works. This context evokes questions of spectatorship, the power implications of the roles of the photographer as both documentarian and artist, notions of the cyclical nature of time and dialogues surrounding the simulacrum as a representation of reality with a critical lens.

Fox’s internal exploration of intimacy further elucidates the trials and tribulations of the varied experiences of the people, settings and objects splattered across the walls. She redefines and upends the idea of shooting from the hip, producing spontaneous images that are a residue or trace of a moment. Fox states,

“It’s more about evoking an emotional response and curiosity from the viewer. Rather than just taking a pretty picture, I want to show people a reality so far from theirs. And I want them to ask questions about it and feel what I felt. If I’m not able to share my experiences with everyone or else they mean nothing at all.”

Her photography investigates the relationship between private and public; further examining the wretched domestic ruin left behind after a major catastrophic event. What is left from this disaster are Fox’s diabolical relationships and haunting materials that aggressively plague the confines of her own psyche. The unrelenting documenting of these experiences portray her emotional obsession to unearth a secluded abyss where her personal demons are omnipresent and furiously trapping.

Fox’s mind actively searches for a form of replacement and solace to the never-ending calamity of the drug-fueled soap opera. This exhaustive measure in pushing human natural limits showcases the extent that Fox is willing to reconfigure romantic and emotional relations in order to restore the spiritual self. Julia’s agency lies within her constant yearning for fulfillment.

Curated and written by Richie Shazam Khan

Deriving majority of her inspiration from the numerous colorful people she has encountered through her venturous life, Fox was raised amongst the creative fixtures of New York City. Fox studied at City-As-High School, an alternate learning establishment in New York City, notable alumni including Jean-Michel Basquiat. Her photography was recently featured in S Magazine (Issue 17); she has been featured in numerous publications over the years including Elle, Dazed, i-D, Galore, Oyster, amongst many more. She also published and released Symptomatic of A Relationship Gone Sour: Heartburn/ Nausea at MoMA PS1 Book Fair, September 2015. Fox is currently studying Fine Arts & Social Work at New School, NYC.