Brett Weston (American, 1911–1993) was a photographer whose work defined the Contemporary Photography movement. Born in California, Weston began his journey in photography at age 14 while living in Mexico with his father, photographer
Edward Weston (American, 1886–1958). The Westons returned to the United States in 1926, moving to Glendale, CA, before their first joint exhibit at the University of California in 1927. Weston's informal education in photography was earned by observing and helping his father at work, and his father later credited Weston as an influence on his own photographic images. The younger Weston was featured at an international exhibit in Stuttgart, Germany, at the tender age of 17. At age 21, he had his first one-man museum show at the De Young Museum in San Francisco, CA. Instead of using the matte papers that were popular in the 1920s, Weston developed a preference for high-gloss papers due to the sharp precision they gave to his
Abstract photographs. His first portfolio entitled
San Francisco was published in 1938 and consisted of ten 8 x 10 prints.
Weston lived throughout California during his lifetime and married and divorced four times. Despite his failed romantic relationships, he continued working with his father until Edward Weston's death in 1958, making his father the most stable presence in Weston's life. Weston began traveling more extensively after his father died, taking an eight-month road trip to Europe two years later. His resulting works have been compiled in a collection of books, including
Voyage of the Eye, Hawaii: Fifty Photographs, and
Brett Weston: Photographs from Five Decades.
Weston’s original works can be found in collections at museums such as the Honolulu Museum of Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The Brett Weston Room at the Photography West Gallery in Carmel, CA, is dedicated to a continuous exhibit of Weston's photographic works for sale, including original limited edition mural photographs, masterworks, and underwater nudes, in addition to some of his vintage photographs.