COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Mar. 16, 2022) — The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College (FAC) is pleased to present the photography exhibition “Brett Weston: Working Toward Abstraction,” on view through April 17, 2022.
With a distinctive compositional style, Weston frequently juxtaposed bright areas with deep-black shadows. This approach transforms negative space into shapes, flattening an image into elemental forms. From city scenes to depictions of forests and beaches, Weston always revealed a potential for abstraction. Representing a broad range of Weston’s work from the 1940s through the 1980s, the collection was carefully curated by photographer Emma Powell.
“The quality of work in Brett Weston’s images can be seen in his appreciation of how the camera has the ability to transform subjects close up and how the contrast of black and white further alters the recognition of an object,” said Michael Christiano, FAC Director of Visual Arts & Museum. “As a result, it’s easy to understand his love of the abstract, something that identifies his nearly seventy-year career.”
Brett Weston rose to prominence as a photographer with an eye for abstraction deeply committed to his practice. As the son of the famous photographer Edward Weston, Brett Weston began his career at a young age, already exhibiting alongside his father at age seventeen. While he was influenced by his father’s work, Brett Weston established his own signature style that is widely celebrated today.
The majority of the photographs were gifted through the Christian Keesee Collection and the Brett Weston Archive.
“Brett Weston was one of the true American masters of photography, yet what we know of him through his publications and exhibitions represents only a small part of what we are uncovering in this important collection,” said Christian Keesee, collector and owner of the Brett Weston Archive. “We are thrilled to bring to light his body of work at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, work that has never been exhibited or reproduced, and provide the public the opportunity to experience the many sides of this gifted artist.”
ABOUT THE BRETT WESTON ARCHIVE
In November of 1996, Oklahoma City collector Christian Keesee acquired from the Brett Weston Estate the most complete body of Weston’s work in existence, thus creating the Brett Weston Archive. As one of the largest and most significant collections by an individual American photographer, The Brett Weston Archive serves as a resource for museums, collectors, historians, and publishers worldwide
ABOUT THE FINE ARTS CENTER MUSEUM
The FAC Museum’s permanent collection of approx. 20,000 objects showcases the rich history and vibrant contemporary cultures of the Southwest and the Americas, containing works of art from Native America, Hispanic and Spanish Colonial New Mexico, and 20th and 21st-century America.
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College
The story of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College (FAC) began with the founding of the Broadmoor Art Academy 1919. A museum, performing arts theatre, and community art school, the FAC is a pillar in the cultural community of the Rocky Mountain West providing innovative, educational, and multi-disciplinary arts experiences designed to elevate the individual spirit and inspire community vitality. The FAC and Colorado College recognize and honor the original inhabitants of the land on which it resides. For more information about the FAC, visit fac.coloradocollege.edu or follow on Facebook @CSFineArtsCenter.