Open Portrait Sessions: Julia Gorton
Opening: Saturday, May 4, 6–9 PM

Exhibition Dates: May 4 – June 8, 2025

Open portrait sessions will be held Thursday, May 10 from 5–8 PM and Friday, May 9 from 3–7 PM.

Good Children Gallery is excited to present Julia Gorton's ongoing portrait series. Join us for the opening reception on Saturday, May 4 from 6–9 PM.



Legendary photographer and zine maker Julia Gorton, known for her iconic documentation of the No Wave scene and underground punk culture, expands her ongoing portrait project to New Orleans. This living series of photographs captures the everyday faces of diverse communities across the country.

From skaters and punks to artists, musicians, and activists, Gorton invites anyone who shows up to step in front of her lens. Portraits are created in an open, temporary studio, where participants wait and mingle—forming spontaneous connections in a shared space.

The project began in 2018 at Doomed Gallery in London and has since appeared in cities like Los Angeles, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Wilmington, Mobile, and Pensacola, where Gorton was Artist-in-Residence at the 309 Punk Project. Each session becomes a gathering point for dialogue and presence, producing portraits that speak to both the individual and the collective.

"I use photography as a tool to connect with a divergent community through the act of making portraits," Gorton explains. "And I hope to forge connections between them while they are sitting and waiting in a common area together."

Gorton's practice spans decades. She launched her career as photographer, creative director, and publisher of the No Wave fanzine Beat It! (1976–1980), known for high-contrast photography and cut-and-paste aesthetics. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, DAZED, i-D, VICE/GARAGE, and on album covers for labels such as Ork Records, ZE Records, and Lust/Unlust.

Her photographs have been exhibited internationally, including at Kata Gallery (Tokyo), Doomed Gallery (London), the International Center of Photography, the Museum of the City of New York, the Brooklyn Museum, MoMA, the Museum of Arts and Design, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"Gorton’s life is a sly mastrclass on how to turn restlessness into a vital and living into a vital and living practice."
--Nate Lippens

The exhibition brings together a compelling mix of portraits created in Gorton’s Open Portrait Sessions, highlights new and archival photographs from the series, and offers a glimpse into Gorton’s broader artistic practice, which includes zines, tshirts, collage, and experimental print work.

Curated by Valerie George