about just gonz
Justin has over 25 years of experience in the graphic design and photo industries. following his father’s footsteps, he began working in the darkrooms of Stat Graphics in Studio City, North Hollywood (ca.), just minutes from home (and Universal Studios).
Beginning at the age of 14, Justin learned how to develop film and graphics for television and movies, working on films such as Cool World (with Brad Pitt), for companies such as (Tri-Star) Columbia Pictures, UniversalPictures, Justin was inspired to pursue photography, printing, graphic design and all other forms of visual (and audio) design.
At the age of 14, Justin developed the frames for this scene, in which the illustrators created their animations.
As Avaria’s Vice President and Lead Environment Designer, Justin lead the company in all graphic design elements, developing architecture, environments, and world designs, with responsibilities also spanning music production, foley design, business development, PR, and community development, along with assisting in the development of the Aura (Avaria) Game Engine.
During the early stages of development, Justin also discovered Macromedia’s Flash and began to play with animated web design, including teaching Flash to web design divisions of firms in Orlando, Florida.
Avaria and Endless Ages eventually came to an end with a battle of marketing against tech giants Sony and Microsoft. Having expelled all of the investment in design (5 years of development), Justin split ways to pursue the emerging world of CMS (Content Management System) web design in early 2000. During his college years, Justin continued producing music, djing, and working in the printing (lithography) industry.
Combining new CMS web design skills (Joomla, WordPress) and 3D design skills (3D Studio Max, AutoCAD), Justin began working with clients such as Delta Connection Academy, Lipizzaner Stallions, and other various clients in the Central Florida area.
A big move to New York introduced Justin (Gonzalez) to the world food and beverage operations in luxury hotels, beginning in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Jumping headfirst into this new and exciting environment, Justin began working at Hotel on Rivington in 2005, utilizing his knowledge of business management, visual design, audio design, music production, and architecture, Justin quickly grew in this new world of NYC F&B hotel hospitality. During the 7 years at Hotel on Rivington Justin personally helped redesigned architectural elements of the hotel penthouse (lounge/kitchen design), including designing the restaurant (THOR) and nightclub lounge (105 Riv) sound systems.
During Justin’s 13 years in the hospitality industry, he had the pleasure to work with industry titans like Victoria Secret, Sony, Marc Jacobs, Nike, Opening Ceremony, the Super Bowl, Acker Merrall & Condit, NBC, and more, including working directly with numerous A-list celebrities from both the music and movie industries.
In addition to working at the top levels of New York Cities’ hottest hospitality industries, Justin has traveled the world, photographing life and architecture, from the beaches of Mexico to the hills of the Headlands in San Francisco, to the villas of Bali and volcanos of Java (Indonesia), spanning to the fields and streets of Spain… the waters of Ha Long Bay (Vietnam)… the mountains of Kha Kao (Thailand)… the streets of Tokyo and the pure bliss of Shimoda (Japan)… where the desert meets the beach in Vina Del Mar (Chile)… and of course New York, NY.
Having personally been involved in the development, construction, and operation of multi-million dollar hotels, coupled with 2 decades of design experience, Justin (Gonzalez) brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to every design and management project.
just gonz photography & design
