Brett Weston: Working Toward Abstraction

St. Louis-based contemporary artist Jess T. Dugan explores facets of identity through their photography, video, and writing. Grounded in their own experience as a queer, nonbinary person, Dugan’s work addresses the universal human need to understand, express oneself, and connect with others. Dugan’s previous body of work, To Survive on This Shore: Photographs and Interviews with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Older Adults (2018), a series of portraits and in-depth interviews collected in collaboration with scholar Vanessa Fabbre, received acclaim for providing visibility to a community whose lives and struggles have largely gone unrepresented in a nuanced or thoughtful way. This exhibition is curated by Christopher Jones, Stanton B.and Nancy W. Kaplan Curator of Photography and Media Arts.

Kwame Brathwaite, Renée Cox, Gordon Parks, Ming Smith. “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1968, three months before his assassination. Profound and timely when delivered during the Civil Rights Movement; this positivity has helped shape the landscape of Black American ethos. In times of uncertainty and disappointment, Dr. King’s passage is a reminder that hope is evergreen. Jenkins Johnson Gallery is pleased to present Infinite Hope, an exhibition of historical photographs by groundbreaking, internationally renowned artists Kwame Brathwaite, Renée Cox, Gordon Parks, and Ming Smith. The exhibition opens following Martin Luther King Jr. Day and remains on view through February, Black History Month. Jenkins Johnson Gallery will present this ambitious museum-scale exhibition at 1150 25th Street, San Francisco, a 6,000 square foot venue formerly housing the McEvoy Foundation. Spanning the late 20th century, Infinite Hope presents a discourse around philosophical, social, and aesthetic developments for African Americans. Starting in the 1950s with Parks, and Brathwaite, it continues through the present with Smith and Cox. The multigenerational artists address the unique social circumstances of their lives and times. Each artist represents the triumph over the challenges faced by their ancestors, with “hope” as the torch passed from one to the next. Leaning on the exhibition’s central theme of unity, the artists reject the notion of the Black family as fragmented, and the Black male is present and celebrated. The images emphasize both the power and endurance of hope, as well as the disquiet, friction, and doubt that hope dispels. Image: Kwame Brathwaite, Untitled (Couple’s Embrace), 1971

Peter Fetterman Gallery is excited to announce "Woof Woof: The Dog in Photography," an exhibition celebrating the special bond between humans and dogs through the lens of some of the most iconic photographers in history. Opening on December 7, 2024, this exhibition will feature a captivating collection of images that explore the deep connection, joy, and companionship shared with our canine friends. Woof Woof: The Dog in Photography will include works by renowned artists such as Kristoffer Albrecht, Sid Avery, Dorothy Bohm, Wynn Bullock, Giacomo Brunelli, Susan Burnstine, Mark Citret, John Cohen,Georges Dambier, John Divola, Robert Doisneau, Elliott Erwitt, René Groebli, Cig Harvey, William Helburn, Thurston Hopkins, Horst P. Horst, Jamie Johnson, Herman Leonard, Jacques Lowe, Kurt Markus, David Montgomery, Daido Moriyama, Sebastião Salgado, Pentti Sammallahti, Traer Scott, George H. Seeley, Sabine Weiss and more. Each photograph in this exhibition offers a unique perspective on the dog’s role in human life, from playful street scenes to intimate moments of quiet companionship. With both historic and contemporary images, this show invites viewers to reflect on the emotional richness that dogs bring to our lives, captured in unforgettable moments. Woof Woof is a must-see for photography enthusiasts and dog lovers alike, highlighting the universal and timeless bond between humans and their furry companions. Image: Dog - The Animals 2010 © Giacomo Brunelli

Peter Fetterman Gallery is delighted to announce the upcoming exhibition, Willy Ronis, celebrating the profound impact of one of the great French Humanist photographers of the 20th century. Opening on December 7, 2024, this exhibition will offer an opportunity to experience the iconic works of Willy Ronis, whose intimate and evocative images captured the heart of post-war France. Willy Ronis will feature a carefully curated selection of the photographer’s most celebrated images, as well as rare, lesser-known works that highlight the full scope of his remarkable career. Known for his timeless portrayals of everyday life in Paris—from children playing in the streets to the quiet moments of love and work — Ronis’ photography resonates with a universal tenderness and deep human connection. The exhibition will be on view from December 7, 2024, to March 1, 2025. A reception to celebrate the opening will be held on Saturday, December 7, 2024, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm, with accompanying refreshments, offering an opportunity to explore the works of this legendary artist.

David Yarrow: The Adventure Continues… invites viewers on a journey through the remarkable work of internationally acclaimed photographer David Yarrow. Featuring a dynamic mix of his awe-inspiring wildlife images and meticulously staged narrative scenes, the exhibition showcases Yarrow’s ability to merge the raw beauty of the natural world with the evocative power of storytelling. Since 2014, Yarrow’s collaboration with Holden Luntz Gallery has introduced audiences to his unique photographic vision. Known for his large-format black-and-white images, Yarrow’s work immerses viewers in dramatic and untamed environments, offering an extraordinary sense of intimacy and immediacy. “The reason I take pictures is not just to show people what I saw, but to make them feel what I felt,” Yarrow explains, a sentiment that resonates throughout his body of work. In his wildlife photography, Yarrow captures apex predators and vast, untouched landscapes with a tension and immediacy that transports viewers directly into the scene. His narrative works, meanwhile, are grand cinematic productions, often featuring cultural icons like Cindy Crawford, who remarked on his ability to create images that feel “timeless and fresh at the same time.” These intricate compositions blur the lines between reality and imagination, underscoring Yarrow’s dedication to crafting stories that transcend traditional photography. Yarrow’s work has garnered praise from figures across fields. Tom Brady has said, “David’s photographs make you stop, look, and think,” a testament to the emotional and intellectual impact of his images. Each piece reflects Yarrow’s relentless pursuit of excellence, whether it’s trekking through remote wilderness or directing elaborate staged shoots. David Yarrow: The Adventure Continues… celebrates the artistry and adventurous spirit that define Yarrow’s career. From the raw intensity of wildlife encounters to the richly layered storytelling of his narrative images, the exhibition is a testament to Yarrow’s ability to reframe the world through his lens, making the extraordinary feel close, real, and unforgettable. Image: Bad Asses (Colour) © David Yarrow:

Pace is pleased to present an exhibition of recent photographs by Richard Misrach at its 540 West 25th Street gallery in New York. On view from January 17 to March 1, 2025, this will be the first presentation devoted to CARGO, a body of work that Misrach began in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the last week of the show, advance copies of CARGO (Aperture, May 2025) will be available to view at the gallery. Pace will also host a talk between the artist and Sarah Meister, Executive Director of Aperture. Misrach is known for his poignant, large-scale color images that lean into social, political, and environmental issues while also engaging with the history of photography. In his radiant, contemplative works, Misrach—who is based in California—often examines the destructive impact of human interaction with the natural world. His works have examined man-made fires and floods, nuclear test sites, and animal burial pits in the American West; the petrochemical corridor in Louisiana; the landscape of the US-Mexico border; as well as more lyrical subjects like San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge and his recent hydrofoil surfer series in Hawaii. Harkening back to his Golden Gate Bridge series—which the artist produced from his front porch over the course of four years beginning in 1997—CARGO centers on the light, water, and weather of the San Francisco Bay. He began creating this body of work in 2021 amid the pandemic and its attendant lockdowns. Captured at different times of day from a single location in San Francisco, these photographs speak to his enduring interest in bearing witness to the world around him from a singular vantage point over the course of months or years. In a statement, Misrach describes this series as a meditation on and celebration of the setting of the San Francisco Bay. With these works, he also contemplates the design, function, and history of the ships in the bay, and all of the thousands of workers implied in the images. “Behind these ships, there is a remarkable—if invisible—global workforce that builds them, and inhabits them, that packs and unloads them, that maneuvers them over oceans and canals, sometimes in dangerous situations, toward their eventual berths,” Misrach writes. “Along with the extraordinary achievement and value these cargo ships symbolize, they also represent the complex, challenging side of our critical, intertwined, international commerce. In this historical moment, they allude to the threat that is global warming.”

The Fahey/Klein Gallery is pleased to present Soft White Underbelly, an exhibition of photographic works by Mark Laita. This powerful series reveals raw and real glimpses of humanity’s most vulnerable communities, encouraging a conversation around the individuals and realities that often go unseen. Soft White Underbelly, a metaphor for vulnerability, was born from Laita’s 2009 photo series Created Equal. These new portraits, shot against stark and simple backdrops, highlight the individuality and humanity of his subjects. By emphasizing the lived experiences of his sitters, Laita’s photographs eschew judgment and focus instead on storytelling. Each image in the series captures a sense of unguarded honesty and reflects the vulnerability and complexity of life on the edges of society. Soft White Underbelly explores how a photograph can serve as a document of a person’s state at a specific moment in time. The Soft White Underbelly project has garnered international attention through its accompanying video interviews, which have amassed over a billion views. This exhibition offers an opportunity to experience these works in a new context—up close, and on a scale that allows for deeper reflection on the stories behind the faces. “In my view, my video interviews and portraits are character studies that attempt to reveal what’s behind our tendency to self-destruct.” Mark Laita. Mark Laita, a Los Angeles-based photographer, is renowned for his striking portraiture and meticulous attention to detail. Raised in Detroit and Chicago, Laita discovered his passion for photography at fifteen, documenting Chicago’s homeless population—a project that evolved over three decades. He holds a photography degree from Columbia College and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Laita’s work has been exhibited internationally and is included in prominent public and private collections. He currently divides his time between Los Angeles and New York City.

The Oceano Dunes just south of San Luis Obispo in California are known in part for their majestic natural formations and miles of windswept rolling sand. These are the iconic dunes of Edward Weston’s breathtaking photographs; of Cecil B. DeMille’s recently excavated and restored sphinxes from his 1923 Ten Commandments movie set; of the Dunites—a bohemian group of artists who squatted in dune shacks in the 1920’s-40’s—and of the nearly lost Northern Chumash tribe who holds a vast and rich cultural history going back over 10,000 years. Today, the Oceano Dunes have been transformed into a place that is far from the utopian American West landscape that was embraced by the Dunites. Rather, it is now an active and wildly popular State Vehicular Recreation Area filled with hikers and campers, RV encampments, and members of the local community. California State Parks issues 1,500 day passes and 600 nightly camping permits to the riders for their off-road, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) that they rip up and down the dunes wreaking havoc on the environment. Vehicles grinding sand under their wheels everyday creates dust blowing off the dunes, generating days of the worst air quality in the nation for the nearby residents. The dust contains particulate matter small enough to lodge in the lungs, causing asthma and other medical conditions. Photographer Lana Z Caplan, who hails from Brooklyn, now calls this region home herself, and for seven years she has engaged with tribal leaders, land use and city pollution boards, historians, the ATV community, and other vested people to learn, photograph, and create a visual conversation about the complexities of this unique part of the country. Caplan invested herself in not only learning and understanding the vast history of the area, but also spending significant time getting to know the people on a human level that she was photographing. Her book Oceano - for seven generations, published by Kehrer Verlag, is a rich exploration of the histories and intersections of people and place. In addition to landscape images of the dunes and surrounding structures and geographies, Caplan’s solo exhibition, Oceano - for seven generations at the historic Harvey Milk Photo Center provides photographic and video portraits of some of the RV inhabitants, the ATV riders, as well as individuals who live in the area year round. Floor to ceiling color video portraits of riders in the style of Andy Warhol’s screen tests are projected in contrast to mural size photographs of the undisturbed landscape in striking black and white. She also includes photographs of related historical objects and writings that bring Chumash history and the Dunites to life. Threaded throughout the book and exhibition are quotes from archives of past inhabitants, as well as essays from current tribal leaders, and cultural thinkers. Mona Olivas Tucker, the tribal chair of the yak tityu tityu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe (ytt Tribe) and her son, Matthew D. Goldman, deepen the weight of the considerations in the writings they provided for this project. Goldman's essay encapsulates what is at stake with the intersection of landscape and human impact. He writes, “I watch over special places and feel proud of my ancestors. Walking the Dunes can feel like heaven. On the nights when no one is there, it’s a sanctuary. ... During the times when the beach is flooded with people and vehicles, I feel sick and sad. Huge amounts of filth trash is left behind in a place I love. Damage by vehicles is happening to the dunes, damage to animals, birds, plants, and beautiful flowers. Some won’t survive and won’t be seen again.” Professor, author, and artist Hanna Rose Shell accompanied Caplan on an excursion into the dune area and her essay for the book includes observations on both the topography as well as the people and messaging present. The viewer is led along with Caplan and Shell as they navigate the conflicting human interests and agendas with the region. She writes, "There is a defiant aggression in the air, infused with the saltwater, and a controlled chaos of vehicles large and small revving engines, spinning in circles. The smell is a mixture of chorizo and motor oil." All of this combines to present a wide-arcing consideration of the significant scope and implications of using and utilizing natural spaces for human gain. Environmental and cultural losses and implications are inherent, charging this cultural landscape with significance far beyond the Oceano Dunes.

The career of photographer Weegee (born Arthur Fellig, 1899-1968) is often divided into two distinct phases, one gritty, the other glamorous. Celebrated for his sensationalist images of crime scenes, fires, car crashes, and the onlookers who witnessed these harrowing events across New York City in the 1930s and ‘40s, Weegee also spent time in his career documenting the joyful crowds, premieres, and celebrities of Hollywood. His documentary images on both coasts gave way to experimental portraits late in his life, which were distorted using a kaleidoscope and other tricks from his technical toolbox. Weegee: Society of the Spectacle aims to reconcile these two sides of Weegee through an investigation of his focus, throughout his career, on a critique of 20th century popular culture and its insatiable appetite for spectacle. Weegee: Society of the Spectacle is curated by Clément Chéroux, Director of the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson (FHCB), Paris, in collaboration with the Weegee Archive at the International Center of Photography (ICP), New York. The exhibition opens at ICP after a run at the FHCB and the Fundación MAPFRE, Madrid. The exhibition will be accompanied by the publication Weegee: Society of the Spectacle (Thames & Hudson).

Curated by Sara Ickow, Associate Director of Exhibitions, Keisha Scarville Guest Curator, and Elisabeth Sherman, Senior Curator and Director of Exhibitions and Collections at ICP, To Conjure: New Archives in Recent Photography brings together the work of seven artists primarily working in photography—Widline Cadet, Koyoltzintli, Tarrah Krajnak, Shala Miller, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Keisha Scarville, and Sasha Wortzel. The exhibition reimagines what an archive can be or might look like—more than just a means of recuperating the past, these artists utilize the archive as a form for imagining new futures. Moving away from the centrality of the institutional archive, the artists in To Conjure expand its parameters by engaging with materials—clothing, instruments, the landscape and more—beyond photographs and documents alone. By working with a myriad of contemporary materials, these artists create new histories and material sensibilities.

Drawing from works by more than 40 photographers in the ICP collection, with the addition of exhibition prints from contemporary photographers, American Job: 1940-2011 highlights the collection’s breadth and contemporary relevance by surveying the photographic response to labor organizing and strike activity, race and gender discrimination in labor, organized labor’s role in politics, labor and activism, and the intersection of labor and the social changes wrought by the economic restructurings of the twentieth century. This exhibition is guest curated by Makeda Best, photography historian.and Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Oakland Museum of California. Organized chronologically in five sections, the exhibition explores the transformation of work in America, and with it the rise of activism and new forms of solidarity in pursuit of humane working conditions and economic equity. Including over 130 photographs, along with photobooks and a wide range of ephemera that underscore text and image based storytelling, American Job: 1940-2011 introduces lesser-known images from the ICP collection, provides new contexts for celebrated bodies of work, illustrates the contributions of professional photojournalists and community-based documentarians to the historical record of the twentieth century, and demonstrates the breadth of ICP’s collection of works from across the country. This exhibition features works by photographers including Cornell Capa, Chien-Chi Chang, Arnold Eagle, Robert Frank, Otto Hagel, Bettye Lane, Freda Leinwand, Ken Light, Danny Lyon, Susan Meiselas, Charles Moore, Barbara Norfleet, Gordon Parks, Sophie Rivera, Accra Shepp, Eugene Smith, Dylan Vitone, Todd Webb, Dan Weiner, Bill Wood, and many more.

Obscura Gallery presents IAN MARKUS: Fragments of the Frontier, a photographic exploration of the fading culture of ranching in Montana. With imagery created from a 4 x 5” film camera, Ian composites two or more negatives in the darkroom to create ethereal, large-format gelatin silver prints. The resulting ghostly images give a visceral interpretation of the fading cowboy culture that Ian has encountered in the contemporary ranches of Montana. Santa Fean Ian Markus is the son of the late Obscura Gallery photographer Kurt Markus, who had a long storied career including photographing cowboy culture, and publishing three cowboy monographs since the 1980s. Ian has witnessed this subject matter since he was a young boy accompanying his father on photographic expeditions in the West and assisting Kurt for many long hours in the darkroom. This work provides an insightful perspective into the current state of ranching, showing the juxtaposition of a practice that is facing numerous challenges in our contemporary climate. "’So, you're here to photograph the end?’ a couple of cowboys asked me without any prompting. At the time, I didn’t know how to respond. My father’s photographs of the West and cowboy culture had always inspired me. They made me curious about what it was really like—not staged, not polished. I didn’t want to dress anyone in new, starched clothes or have them stare meaningfully into the sunset. I wanted to capture life as it is now. That was why I was there.” -IM “It wasn’t until I began reviewing contact sheets with Jennifer Schlesinger [Director, Obscura Gallery] that I realized there was more to my work at those ranches. The fading traditions of cowboy culture—the shift from horses to ATVs (or ’ram and jam,’ as one legendary cowboy put it)—mirrored my own journey with photography. Like the cowboys adjusting to a new way of life, I was navigating my practice using film cameras, tools that require patience and a connection to the past.” - IM “The Graflex camera became the perfect medium to reflect this duality. It bridged the time between the cowboys my father photographed and the ones I met—generations still deeply connected to their heritage. To them, wearing that hat still means something.” –IM Ian Markus (b. 1988) grew up in Kalispell, Montana and graduated from Montana State University with a focus on Graphic Design. The son of the late Kurt Markus widely known for his Cowboy and fashion photography, Ian was immersed in the world of photography at a very early age as he spent most of his life working alongside Kurt—whether in the darkroom or out on photo shoots—and those experiences shaped the artist that he is today. In 2009, Ian and Kurt collaborated on the documentary It's About You, a Super 8 film chronicling John Mellencamp's tour of baseball fields across America while recording his latest album. Celebrated for its creativity, the film was featured at SXSW and the Tribeca Film Festival. Ian has been working on his own photographic documentary about the fading Cowboy culture the past several years, and the show at Obscura Gallery is the debut of his first solo photographic exhibition.