MCA – Media: Picture Fiction: Kenneth Josephson and Contemporary Photography

Skip to content

Press release

Kenneth Josephson Press Release

Press images

A black-and-white photo of the Chicago skyline from the north shore of Lake Michigan is overlaid with rectangular color image fragments of the same view. The color images add and subtract people from the lakefront view. — Kenneth Josephson, Chicago, 1972. © 1972 Kenneth Josephson. Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Kenneth Josephson, Matthew again, 1980.  © Kenneth Josephson

Kenneth Josephson, New York State, 1970. Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Kenneth Josephson, Stockholm, 1967. © 1967 Kenneth Josephson. Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Vito Acconci, Stretch, 1969. Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, © 2017 Vito Acconci / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Photo: © MCA Chicago

John Baldessari, Fish and Ram, 1988. Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Courtesy of John Baldessari
Photo: © MCA Chicago

Anne Collier, Untitled (Light Years, Douglas Kirkland), 2009. Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Courtesy of the artist; Anton Kern Gallery, New York; Corvi-Mora, London; Marc Foxx Gallery, Los Angeles; The Modern Institute/ Toby Webster Ltd., Glasgow; Galerie Neu, Berlin Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Roe Ethridge, Beach Scene (Louis Feraud), 2008. Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Joyce Neimanas, Don’t Touch, 1978. Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

An older, light-skinned man sits casually while holding a small camera in his right hand for this black-and-white photograph. — Ken Josephson Photo: Copyright John Goodman 2015

Kenneth Josephson Chicago, 1964, 1964 Courtesy of Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago

A cityscape on a body of water is partly obscured by a hand at the bottom left corner holding a yardstick diagonally across the view. — Kenneth Josephson Chicago, 1973, 1973 Courtesy of Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago

Kenneth Josephson Chicago, 1976, 1976 Courtesy of Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago

Kenneth Josephson Chicago, 1980, 1980 Courtesy of Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago

Kenneth Josephson, Matthew, 1965, 1965. Courtesy of Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago

Kenneth Josephson Polapans, 1973, 1973 Courtesy of Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago

Kenneth Josephson Untitled (History of Photography Series), 1991, 1991 Courtesy of Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago

Kenneth Josephson Wisconsin, 1980, 1980 Courtesy of Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago

Installation view, Picture Fiction: Kenneth Josephson and Contemporary Photography, MCA Chicago April 28 – December 30, 2018 Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Installation view, Picture Fiction: Kenneth Josephson and Contemporary Photography, MCA Chicago April 28 – December 30, 2018 Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Installation view, Picture Fiction: Kenneth Josephson and Contemporary Photography, MCA Chicago April 28 – December 30, 2018 Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Installation view, Picture Fiction: Kenneth Josephson and Contemporary Photography, MCA Chicago April 28 – December 30, 2018 Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Installation view, Picture Fiction: Kenneth Josephson and Contemporary Photography, MCA Chicago April 28 – December 30, 2018 Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Installation view, Picture Fiction: Kenneth Josephson and Contemporary Photography, MCA Chicago April 28 – December 30, 2018 Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

A framed and matted black-and-white photograph shows an arm extending straight ahead. The hand holds a photo of a boat above the horizon of a body of water. — Installation view, Picture Fiction: Kenneth Josephson and Contemporary Photography, MCA Chicago April 28 – December 30, 2018 Work shown: Kenneth Josephson New York State, 1970 Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, gift of Katherine S. Schamberg by exchange, 2014.4 Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Installation view, Picture Fiction: Kenneth Josephson and Contemporary Photography, MCA Chicago April 28 – December 30, 2018 Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Installation view, Picture Fiction: Kenneth Josephson and Contemporary Photography, MCA Chicago April 28 – December 30, 2018 Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

A light blue neon sign mounted on a wall reads "I am only describing language, not explaining anything." The words "describing" and "explaining" appear in italics. — Installation view, Picture Fiction: Kenneth Josephson and Contemporary Photography, MCA Chicago April 28 – December 30, 2018 Work shown: Joseph Kosuth No Number #6 (On Color, Blue), 1991 Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Bernice and Kenneth Newberger Fund; and National Endowment for the Arts Purchase Grant, 1991.5 Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Four rows of framed black-and-white photographs hang on a wall. — Installation view, Picture Fiction: Kenneth Josephson and Contemporary Photography, MCA Chicago April 28 – December 30, 2018 Work shown: Robert Heinecken Are You Rea, 1964–68 Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Gift of Daryl Gerber Stokols, 1998.42.1-27 Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago