Bruce Weber “Try a Little Tenderness” at Fahey/Klein Gallery

Socal Magazine 

April 9, 2026

Bruce Weber “Try a Little Tenderness” at Fahey/Klein Gallery

Fahey/Klein Gallery presents Bruce Weber: Try a Little Tenderness, a long-awaited exhibition that explores how an artist is shaped—not just through formal training, but through family, friendship, mentorship, love, collaboration, and lived experience. Spanning decades of work, the show unfolds as a kind of visual memoir, tracing the emotional and creative forces that have defined Weber’s singular perspective.

Born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Weber’s earliest artistic experiences began at home, making drawings and 8mm films with his father and sister. At twelve, he received an Argus C3 camera—an early turning point that sparked his desire to share the intimate world he was capturing beyond his backyard. He first studied theater at Denison University before shifting to filmmaking at New York University. A pivotal introduction by Diane Arbus led him to Lisette Model’s photography classes, where he developed a humanistic approach rooted in emotional immediacy—an ethos that continues to shape even his most stylized images.

By the late 1970s, Weber had become a defining voice in fashion photography. His sunlit, nostalgic imagery—often set on beaches or in small towns with a touch of old Hollywood romance—introduced a sense of ease, sensuality, and freedom that broke from convention. He went on to collaborate with major fashion houses including Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, Gianni Versace, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Louis Vuitton, with editorial work appearing in Vogue(American, Italian, and French editions), Vanity Fair, Interview, and GQ. Known for cinematic composition, natural light, and a deep affinity for youth culture and everyday subjects, Weber’s photographs feel both timeless and immediate.

Weber’s practice extends naturally into film. His 1989 documentary Let’s Get Lost, an intimate portrait of jazz trumpeter Chet Baker, earned an Academy Award nomination. He has since directed numerous films, commercials, and music videos, and in 1998 the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art mounted a retrospective of his film work. His anti-war documentary A Letter to True premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and screened internationally, including at Tribeca, Toronto, and Edinburgh. More recently, his feature The Treasure of His Youth: The Photographs of Paolo di Paolodebuted at the Rome Film Festival in 2021.

Artist Reception will be Thursday, April 9th. 7-9 PM

The Fahey/Klein Gallery | Fahey/Klein Gallery 148 N. La Brea Ave | Los Angeles, CA 90036