Peter Fetterman Gallery debuts William Klein: In Your Face! This is the artist’s first major exhibition in Los Angeles in 35 years. The solo show offers a glimpse into Klein’s energetic perception of the world. It also spotlights his “no-rules” attitude toward the photographic medium.

Peter Fetterman William Klein

A native New Yorker, William Klein (1926–2022) went to City College before relocating to Paris after World War II. There, he studied at the Sorbonne and explored painting, graphic design, and filmmaking. Meanwhile, constant movement between New York and Paris shaped his radical photographic vision. Although he traveled extensively, Paris consistently served as his personal and creative center.

Using the main gallery, the exhibition reveals Klein’s rejection of classical refinement. Instead, he pursued the raw energy of daily life, with its speed and unpredictability. Importantly, Klein avoided polish and chased immediacy wherever he worked. He photographed people directly, therefore transferring lived intensity onto film. Rather than organizing disorder, he welcomed it fully.

As Klein explained, “It’s not necessary to make order out of chaos. Chaos itself is interesting.” Consequently, American publishers long rejected his confrontational imagery. At that time, popular media favored glamour and controlled narratives. However, Klein insisted on photographing what society ignored but constantly experienced.

William Klein Recreates the Photobook

William Klein, 1926-2022; Club Allegro Fortissimo, Paris, 1990; Signed, numbered and titled on artist label affixed to verso; Gelatin silver print mounted on aluminum; 29.5 x 41.34 inches Edition 14 of 30

Additionally, Klein reshaped the photobook as an expressive form. His landmark projects, including Life Is Good and Good for You in New York, broke conventions.
Therefore, his sequencing and pacing transformed how audiences read photographic stories.

This experimental mindset later informed his work for Vogue. There, he disrupted fashion photography with movement and urban friction. Likewise, his fashion images preserved elegance while embracing city textures. Overall, the exhibition assembles the urgency and visual boldness defining Klein’s legacy.

It reminds viewers that photography gains strength through vitality, not perfection. Furthermore, Klein’s unfiltered style redefined street and humanist photography. He created space for confrontation, speed, and direct engagement. Today, his work feels especially relevant amid curated identities and mediated realities. Thus, revisiting Klein’s vision affirms the enduring power of seeing life honestly.

On View: January 10 – May 16, 2026

What: William Klein: In Your Face!
Where: Peter Fetterman, 2525 Michigan Ave A-1, Bergamot Station Arts Center, Santa Monica, 90404
When: Running through May 16, 2026
Website: https://www.peterfetterman.com