The MCA premieres the first retrospective and major show of distinguished American photographer Kenneth Josephson. A long-time resident of Chicago and professor at the School of the Art Institute, Josephson was an early practitioner of “set-up photography,” in which the photographer arranges and manipulates objects to achieve his imagery.

Organized by the MCA, this exhibition surveys the range of Josephson’s career, from early works that acknowledge the influence of the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute of Design, where he studied with Aaron Siskind, to his trademark photographs that feature images (postcards, photographs, or painted backdrops) juxtaposed against outdoor settings to achieve startling and often humorous effects, to his recent work with the Polaroid SX-70 camera.

The exhibition is organized by Lynne Warren, Assistant Curator.

European artists have been following Josephson’s lead, resulting in conceptual investigations that utilize the unique properties of photography. We are most eager to demonstrate Josephson’s unique vision and extraordinary influence on recent art through this retrospective of his photography.

In spite of Josephson’s distinguished career and the demonstrable influence his work has had on contemporary photography, Josephson’s work has never received the attention it warrants. This will be the first exhibition of his work to do so.

Chicago is especially proud of its strong photographic tradition and Josephson has been a major figure in this field in Chicago, graduating from the Art Institute of Design in 1960 and being a professor at the School of the Art Institute here. Through a major showing of this important artist that will travel to cities throughout the United States, the MCA hopes to also make a valuable contribution to promoting a wider and deeper understanding of this heritage of photography in Chicago.

—Excerpt from the MCA’s NEA grant proposal, 1982