The gallery was established in 1991 as Turner/Krull Gallery in West Hollywood. During the gallery’s three years on Melrose Avenue, the program was exclusively photo-based.
The inaugural exhibition, “Photographing L.A. Architecture,” demonstrated Krull’s interest in the cultural history of Southern California and also marked the beginning of his representation of noted L.A. artists such as Julius Shulman, James Fee, and Edmund Teske. The program also included exhibitions of prominent photographers whose work had not been widely exhibited in the area, including, William Eggleston, Robert Adams and Frederick Sommer. Curatorial projects included, “Action/Performance and the Photograph,” a group exhibition examining the relationship of still photography to performance art.
In 1994, Craig Krull became one of the founding galleries at the new Bergamot Station Art Center. Since that time, the gallery has expanded its scope, no longer exclusively photo-based, it now represents major Southern California painters and sculptors such as Peter Alexander, Dennis Hopper, Llyn Foulkes, Astrid Preston, Dan McCleary and Don Bachardy. Sharing the poet Gary Snyder’s belief that, “our place is part of what we are,” the gallery is characterized by “place oriented” work, that which demonstrates a relationship between the artist and their environment or cultural milieu. Curatorial efforts reflecting this interest included, “Photographing the L.A. Art Scene: 1955-1975,” which explored that seminal period in L.A. art history. The gallery has also re-introduced artists such as photographer, Charles Brittin, an important chronicler of the Beat Generation. For this exhibition, Krull collaborated with Walter Hopps, producing the first catalogue of Mr. Brittin’s work.
The gallery is divided into three interconnected exhibition spaces of differing sizes. Exhibitions may focus on a single artist, but are more often comprised of two or three concurrent “solo” shows that explore complimentary themes, issues, or aesthetics. In fact, as simple as it may sound, beauty has always been a fundamental aspect of the gallery’s program.
