Gallery Statement

Since the Jan Kesner Gallery opened its door to the public in 1987, when photography galleries in Los Angeles were rare, it has been fundamental to the evolution of fine-art photography. The Gallery continues not only to focus on twentieth-century, contemporary and emerging artists but also to explore the relationships between them; the Gallery committed to exhibit the work of emerging and established artists in California. It has represented a number of internationally-renowned contemporary photographers, including Nancy Burson, Larry Fink, Michael Lardizabal, Byung-Hun Min, Richard Misrach, Ruben Ortiz Torres, Arne Svenso, Frank van der Salm, and others – as also has represented estates of iconic twentieth-century master photographers: Max Yavno, Imogen Cunningham, and Ruth Orkin. By exhibiting the cutting edge as well as the classics, the Gallery has established itself as a forum for discussion and venue for development within the art field.  Throughout her career, Jan Kesner has maintained a key focus on education, and the Gallery has been vital to the promotion of photographic arts of the West Coast.  We have appreciated and honored the contributions of every patron and visitor over the years who, with their discriminating taste and discerning eye, gives life to the photographic images on the walls.

The Gallery closely works with its clients and provides private consultation to its patrons with regard to acquisition, presentation, and storage of artworks; it routinely provides search services for specific works and conducts appraisals for collection valuations. The Gallery produced museum-quality exhibitions of distinguished work across more than two decades, with a focus on familiarizing and educating its clients and visitors so that they may form knowledgeable opinions and make informed decisions when appreciating and acquiring fine art photography.

Founder Profile

Since Jan Kesner made her first photographic image at the age of twelve, she has continued to devote her life not only to learn about the creative and technical processes of photography, but also to share her knowledge and passion for the history of photography with the public. Before moving to Los Angeles, Jan received both her Bachelors and Masters in Fine Art Photography and Experimental Film at the Art Institute of Chicago.