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First established in 1988, Peter Fetterman’s eponymous gallery relocated and was one of the inaugural galleries that opened at Santa Monica’s iconic Bergamot Station in 1994. Since its debut, Peter Fetterman Gallery has remained a cornerstone not only of the West Coast art scene, but a bastion of modern and contemporary photography, with an inventory that reflects the breadth of the medium across the 20th century and holds work by such influential photographers as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Ansel Adams to Steve McCurry and Lillian Bassman.

Fetterman’s unwavering passion for photography evolved in the midst of the pandemic, wherein he began digitally exhibiting a new photograph and accompanying text each day, which resonated with audiences around the world. The project ultimately became the foundation for a book, The Power of Photography (2022), produced by the gallery and featuring a carefully curated selection of 120 images alongside commentary by Fetterman. Comprised of photographs from across time and by some of art history’s most influential photographers, The Power of Photography is a testament both to Fetterman’s unparalleled connoisseurship as well as, as the title indicates, the power of photography to transcend time and place.

Book cover of Power of Photography by Peter Fetterman, published in 2022, with a gray fabric binding and a black and white photo of a vintage movie premier with four spotlights pointed up into a black sky, with the title of the book in yellow block letters at the top right.

Power of Photography by Peter Fetterman (2022). Courtesy of Petter Fetterman Gallery, Santa Monica.

The publication can be understood as a form of photo exhibition, within which people can explore and discover the dynamic scope of the medium as well as Fetterman’s singular eye.

Black-and-white photo of four individuals sitting facing away from the viewer on a grassy edge of a body of water surrounded by picnic items. A small vacant boat is in the water. Included in the book the Power of Photography produced by Peter Fetterman Gallery.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, On the Banks of the Marne, Paris (1938). Courtesy of Peter Fetterman Gallery, Santa Monica.

Opening this month, Peter Fetterman Gallery once again will delve further into the history and context of photography with the wide-ranging exhibition “Her: The Great Women Photographers,” shining a light on women in photography, historic and still working today. On view from August 17 through November 23, 2024, the show will include works by such artists as Bernice Abbott, Sarah moon, and Ruth Bernhard, to name just a few. For avid photography followers and those less versed in the history of the medium, the exhibition promises to illuminate the oft overlooked contributions and pioneering oeuvres of women photographers.

A back-and-white half-portait of a woman wearing a black frock and flat black hat in profile looking over at the camera with her left arm crossed and right hand up under her chin.

Lillian Bassman, Barbara Mullen, Harper’s Bazaar, New York (ca. 1958). Courtesy of Peter Fetterman, Santa Monica.

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Peter Fetterman Gallery’s exhibition program and publications speak to the gallery’s dedication to photography, offering invaluable insight into the medium’s rich history and a glimpse at its future. Whether visiting a show in person or looking through one of the gallery’s books, such as those described here, viewers can enrich their understanding of photography and its nuances—from early documentary photography to later, more experimental modes.

“Her: The Great Women Photographers” is on view at Peter Fetterman Gallery, Santa Monica, August 17–November 23, 2024.