In my photographs and photo-collages, I explore the way memory and cultural relationships are embodied in objects we encounter in our domestic surroundings. My images respond to the long tradition of still life tableaux as a medium that reflects the various social, cultural, political, and economic circumstances of our contemporary time through its inherent association with domestic life, commerce, and labor.

Using the formal and cultural conventions of still life, the table becomes the stage where objects animate a story. I gather, select, construct, compose, and frame incidental “things” from our social sphere that have fallen out of circulation and into uselessness; yet they remain saturated with meaning.

The camera with its single lens perspective is my instrument. Each photograph emerges from a slow dialogue between myself and the objects around me, a “performative act” directed specifically for the camera lens, becoming evidence of a thought. The lens sees differently than the eye, and the camera has the innate ability to alter our visual perception. Using natural light in a studio setting, I exploit this together with contemporary digital technologies: vivid colors, hyper sharp details, and other possibilities that image processing offers.

All photographs are from an ongoing series titled “Laid Still” in reference to the Dutch Golden Age still life painting of the laid table.

Julie Marie Lemon is a Chicago-based photographer, cultural producer, and educator whose practice explores the intersections of art, science, and culture. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, her artistic foundation began with fifteen years of training in classical ballet and Martha Graham technique, experiences that continue to inform her attention to movement, form, and perception. Working across photography, curatorial practice, and interdisciplinary collaboration, Lemon creates platforms for dialogue between artistic production and scientific and social inquiry. Her work is shaped by a longstanding commitment to connecting artists, researchers, and communities through collaborative projects and public engagement. Lemon served as the Founding Director and Curator of the University of Chicago’s Arts, Science, and Culture Initiative, leading its strategic and intellectual vision from 2010 to 2023. Prior to that, she held positions at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the International School in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, where she developed programs in visual arts education, interpretation, and cultural leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Arts and Education from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Liberal Arts from the University of Chicago.