A Beautiful World: Part IV: Jeffrey Conley

PETER FETTERMAN

A BEAUTIFUL WORLD:PART

The power of photography lies in its ability to ignite emotions across barriers of language and culture. This selection of 120 unique and heartening photographs from the 20th century, compiled by pioneering collector and gallerist Peter Fetterman, offers an inspiring overview of the medium while paying homage to masters of the art, from the bizarre Boschian fantasies of Melvin Sokolsky to the haunting humanity of Ansel Adams’s family portraits, from Miho Kajioka’s interpretation of traditional Japanese aesthetics to the joyful everyday scenes of Evelyn Hofer; each photograph speaks of tranquillity, peace, and hope for the future. The Power of Photography by Peter Fetterman is available through the Peter Fetterman Gallery as well as through all good bookshops, worldwide. ISBN: 978-178884-122-1

The Power of Nature: A Beautiful World January 14th – April 1st 2023

PART IV: JEFFREY CONLEY

You can reach us at the gallery in Santa Monica

T +1 310-453-6463 info@peterfetterman.com

Our UK and Europe representative based in London is Kate Stevens

T +44 7766 684300 kate@peterfetterman.com

The full archive of The Power of Photography series can be viewed at www.peterfetterman.com

Subscribe to The Power of Photography mailing list on the website using the QR code

~Jeffrey Conley

I think many of us share Jeffrey Conley’s sentiments. He is that rare person whose passion and reverence for the natural world combined with his technical prowess creates images of such extraordinary beauty. I have had the honor to know and work with him for over 20 years now. He is at the forefront of his generation of landscape photographers with a unique vision and for sure is destined to to be in the history books for his contribution to this medium.

“

Jeffrey Conley 1969

Grand Oak in Snow, 1991/Printed 2011 Signed, titled, dated & numbered in pencil on recto Gelatin silver print 30 x 30 inches

Edition 7 of 40 (26898)

“For as long as I can remember I have felt most at peace outdoors. Nature has always been my refuge and sanctuary. I find the natural world to be endlessly wondrous in it’s range of character and texture, from moments of delicate intimacy and subtlety to the massively expansive and powerful”

~ Jeffrey Conley

Jeffrey is a master and completely respectful of the classic photographic tradition of the hand crafted print, be it silver or platinum. He is a modest and humble man who possesses a rare, rare talent - the ability to slow down time and to eliminate much of the noise that surrounds us all.

Jeffrey Conley 1969

Windswept Trees, 2011, printed 2016 Signed, titled, dated, & numbered in pencil with copyright stamp on print recto; Titled, dated, & numbered in pencil with artist’s stamp on matte verso Gelatin Silver Print 30 x 37 inches; Frame 41 x 48” Edition 5 of 40 (JC16-38)

“Nature is in constant change and photography is particularly well suited to capture and amplify the swirling fluidity and the wonderfully serendipitous moments born of the ephemeral. Photographing nature is a very specific kind of exercise in mindfulness”

~ Jeffrey Conley

Jeffrey travels extensively and wherever he goes he finds images with an almost child-like sense of wonder and gifts them to us so we too can share in the same beauty and power of nature he has witnessed. For this we must be eternally appreciative.

Jeffrey Conley 1969

Beachwalker, OR, 2015, printed 2016 Signed & numbered in pencil on print recto; Titled, dated, & numbered in pencil with artist’s stamp on verso Gelatin Silver Print Mat 40 x 40 inches; Mount 37 x 35 inches; Image 30 x 30 inches Edition 1 of 40 (JC17-5)

“For all of us, the Earth sustains our existence. In an otherwise in-hospitable known universe, our little blue planet provides us with absolutely everything. I’ve never understood why our societal and spiritual priorities as a species do not overwhelmingly demonstrate our gratitude by placing our planet at the pinnacle of the reverential order”

~ Jeffrey Conley

Jeffrey has an enormous appreciation for the power of nature and our relationship to it, which is highlighted throughout his body of work. In Trees and Shadows, one gets lost in the labyrinth of layers Conley has captured in this meticulously hand-crafted print. The simplicity, yet profound reflection of self, illuminated by Conley through this photograph, makes us appreciate nature’s beauty and respect the emotional connection we share with the environment around us.

Jeffrey Conley 1969

Trees and Shadows, Oregon, 2016 (Printed 2017) Signed, titled, dated, stamped by artist Platinum/Palladium Print

Image 22”x26”, Mat 29”x34” Edition 1 of 9 (JCO17-94)

"Photography is for me a kind of meditation that widens my perception of the existing and evolving world around us. I seek refuge and simplicity in my photographs and find a personal resolution and fulfillment that I sincerely hope others experience as well."

Of course everyone today is a photographer or can be because of the ease of entry to the medium which in fact has both its blessings and curses. It’s like all of us have access to the same letters of the alphabet, but very few of us can use these same letters and write like Shakespeare or Jane Austen.I first met Jeffrey several years ago and was impressed by the quality of his work and his determination to pursue one of the most difficult of objectives: the creative life. I keenly watched his progress and the refinement of his craft. He is that rare species, an artist following in the tradition of the great American Landscape Photographers, Watkins, Haynes, O’Sullivan, Fiske, Muybridge, Jackson, Ansel Adams but one who also displays a distinctly original voice. His images are an extension of his personality: sensitive, stoic, patient and respectful, combined with a childlike sense of wonderment.I look at this image and am in awe of how large nature is and how small we are in comparison and importance.

Jeffrey Conley 1969

Figure in Vast Landscape, Iceland, 2018 (Printed 2019) Signed and numbered in pencil on recto. Stamped, titled, dated and numbered on verso. Platinum/Palladium Print Image - 11”x14”, Matted - 20”x22” 1/10

Jeffrey Conley

Forest Path, France 2018

Signed and numbered in pencil on recto

Archival pigments on Japanese Kozo paper

14 x 18” on 16 x 20” mount Edition 1 of 10 (JC114908)

Jeffrey Conley

Sierra Crest and Moon, from White Mountains, CA 2019

Signed and numbered in pencil on recto

Archival pigments on Japanese Kozo paper

10 x 18” on 12 x 20” mount

Edition 1 of 10 (JC114912)

Jeffrey Conley

Moonlit Water, Peak, and Cloud, Oregon, 2019

Signed and numbered in pencil on recto Archival pigments on Japanese Kozo paper 14 x 18” on 16 x 20” mount Edition 1 of 10 (JC114911)

Born in London, Peter Fetterman has been deeply involved in the medium of photography for over 40 years. Initially a filmmaker and collector, he set up his first gallery over 30 years ago in 1988. He was one of the pioneer tenants of Bergamot Station, the Santa Monica Center of the Arts when it first opened in 1994.

The gallery has one of the largest inventories of classic 20th Century photography in the country particularly in humanist photography.

Diverse holdings include work by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastião Salgado, Steve McCurry, Ansel Adams, Paul Caponigro, Willy Ronis, André Kertesz, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Lillian Bassman, Pentti Sammallahti, Sarah Moon and Jeffrey Conley.

Peter and his colleagues are committed to promoting the awareness and appreciation of the most powerful of the mediums in an intimate, user-friendly salon environment.

All images are © The Artist or their Estate, courtesy of Peter Fetterman Gallery, and may not be reproduced without express permission. All rights reserved.