Locked Down: Art Direction at Home

Locked Down is a self-portrait photos series with the challenge of creating art direction using only I what I had during lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.

Props include garbage bins, a dress form, multiple hats, a children’s toy car, and a sousaphone. Backgrounds are living room floors, bathrooms, and backyards. Conception, styling, photos, and editing done by Julia Gang.

Babadidi Theatre: Eugene Onegin

Babadidi Theatre is a puppet theatre series showcasing different types of visual storytelling through operas. The first installment, Eugene Onegin, is inspired by the Bauhaus’ Triadic Ballet.

Puppets were made with children’s building blocks. Conception, direction, video, music notation, and editing done by Julia Gang; narration by Joanna Gang, 2023.

Arnolfini Portrait 2019

This idea was conceived when a friend told me she was pregnant. She and her husband have two cats, and a modern retelling of the Arnolfini portrait was born. This was photographed in their home, with the addition of a traffic mirror to mimic the mirror in the original painting.

Conception, set decoration, photo, and editing done by Julia Gang, 2019.

CSA Still Lifes

For a few weeks, I was a part of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in my neighborhood. Before using these beautiful vegetables for food, I styled them into portraits inspired by Dutch still lifes of the Renaissance.

Conception, styling, photo, and editing done by Julia Gang, 2019.

Halloween: Met Gala Camp

Disappointed by how un-Camp the outfits were for the Met Gala “Camp”, I created a Halloween series to interpret Camp into outfits. Below are favorites: (l-r) Let Them Eat Cake dress, Il Paliaccio, Bacchus, Accordian dress, and the Toreador.

Materials include cardboard, papier-mâché, yarn, paper, fabric, prop grapes. Conception, styling, photos, and editing done by Julia Gang, 2019.

Alcoholic January

A spin on “Dry January”, this project included recipe creation, mixology, and drink styling. Below are favorites: (l-r) the Joan Didion, Bomb Cyclone, The Milkshake That Wasn’t, Bachelor’s Kiss, Brownstone, and the South Oxford.

Conception, styling, photos, and editing done by Julia Gang, 2018.

14 Gifs of Valentine’s Day, 2018

For the first fourteen days of February, I challenged myself to create a gif around a theme. This year’s theme was romantic movies. Below are favorites: (clockwise starting at top left) Gilda, Bringing Up Baby, Funny Face, Roman Holiday, It Happened One Night, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Working Girl, Clueless, The Lady Eve, Swing Time, and Moonstruck.

Conception, styling, photos, and editing done by Julia Gang, 2018.

Month of Popsicles

Inspired by Alcoholic January, this was for the month of July with a new popsicle (and recipe creation) each day. Below are favorites: (l-r) Bananas Foster; Lemon; Red, White, & Blue, Fudgesicle; Blackberry Rosemary.

Conception, styling, photos, and editing done by Julia Gang, 2018.

Halloween: Encountered Characters

A Halloween project with costumes based off of people (characters) I encountered, using physical and photo manipulations. Below are favorites: (l-r) the Artist, the Over-Texter, the Serial Dater, and the Controlling Girlfiend.

Conception, styling, photos, and editing done by Julia Gang, 2018.

14 Gifs of Valentine’s Day, 2017

For the first fourteen days of February, I challenged myself to create a gif around a theme. This year’s theme was different aspects of Valentine’s Day. Below are favorites: (clockwise starting at top left) Valentine’s Day Sweater, Love Potion #9, Scrabble, Love Actually, Modern Cupid, Let’s Date Cake, Valentine’s Cry, Sandwich Board, Pancakes, and Valen-wine’s Day.

Conception, styling, photos, and editing done by Julia Gang, 2018.

Before the Compost

This series was inspired by the discovery of an old potato that had grown roots. Part science project, part art, this explored both how foods rot and unfinished foods that we toss into the compost bin. Below are favorites: (clockwise starting at top left) Parsley, Eggshells, Coffee Grounds, Bananas, Potatoes, and Kale.

Conception, styling, photos, and editing done by Julia Gang, 2017.

Dan & His Emmys in the City

I followed Dan and his two (real) Emmys, while he did mundane activities. Below are favorites from the shoot.

Conception, direction, styling, photos, and editing done by Julia Gang, 2016.

A Bottle A Day

My #100 Day Project resulted in 100 different wine labels. Most are hand-lettered, with the occasional Futura Bold. Below are favorites.

Design, photos, and editing done by Julia Gang, 2016.