Susan Spiritus opened her eponymous Southern California gallery in 1976 to share her passion for photography with others. At that time, she was one of the first women in the country to open a fine art photography gallery, establishing herself as a trusted leader in the field. The inaugural exhibition at the gallery’s first location on Lido Island in Newport Beach, California, showcased renowned American photographer George Tice, whose work can be found at the Museum of Modern Art among other esteemed collections. Nearly fifty years later, George continues to be represented by the gallery.
At present, Susan Spiritus Gallery (SSG) handles work by photographic luminaries such as Ruth Bernhard, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Paul Caponigro, and André Kertész. The gallery boasts a significant collection of vintage and early edition works sourced from private collections of some of the world’s most recognized photographers, including Ansel Adams, Robert Doisneau, Jacques-Henri Lartigue and Jerry N. Uelsmann and others. SSG also represents many of today’s most popular and award-winning contemporary artists: Camille Seaman, Hiroshi Watanabe, David Burdeny, and Roman Loranc, as well as a vibrant roster of emerging talents.
The gallery regularly collaborates with artists from around the world, including Seung Hoon Park from South Korea, Deborah Parkin from the UK, and William Furniss from Hong Kong. Others include Hengki Koentjoro from Indonesia and Ellie Davies from the UK, alongside a robust collection of work by the famed experimental photographer Eikoh Hosoe from Japan.
Today, the gallery works with private collectors, corporations, and design professionals by appointment, offering personalized counsel to meet individual client needs. Artwork ranges in price, style, and type, including platinum, silver, hand-colored, and digital. Custom framing services are available, and artwork can be shipped worldwide.