Carl Cheng

Carl Cheng (born 1942 in San Francisco) first developed his art practice in Southern California in the 1960s amid political unrest, an interdisciplinary art scene, a booming postwar aerospace industry, and rapid transformation of the landscape. Having studied both fine art and industrial design, his ever-evolving body of work engages with environmental change, the relevance of art institutions to their publics, and the role of technology in society.
In 1966, he began working under the name John Doe Co., and from then on created sculptural "products" that reflect his conception of technology as an artistic tool. Originally recognized for his photographic sculptures, his inventive lexicon includes "art tools" employed in the production of ephemeral artworks, "nature machines" that anticipate an artificial world shaped by humans, kinetic installations, and public art intended to reach broad audiences.