Nature Never Loses surveys six decades of the prescient, genre-defying work of artist Carl Cheng (b. 1942, San Francisco; lives and works in Santa Monica). Having studied both fine art and industrial design, Cheng first developed his art practice in Southern California in the 1960s, amid political unrest, an interdisciplinary art scene, a booming post-war aerospace industry, and rapid development of the landscape. His ever-evolving body of work, incorporating a variety of materials and media, engages with environmental change, the relevance of art institutions to their publics, and the role of technology in society—topics with urgent contemporary relevance. 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, and extra-institutional interventions intended to reach broad audiences.
Between 1966 and 1970 Cheng incorporated his studio under the name John Doe Co. This move, made originally for practical reasons, poked fun at the commodification of art and the brand of the artist, while also serving as a simultaneous critique of corporate culture and the Vietnam War-era discrimination he experienced as an Asian American. In the guise of John Doe Co., he has created sculptural “products” that reflect his conception of technology as an artistic tool and his skepticism of neoliberal notions of progress that have shaped both the art market and the tech industry.
The generosity, irreverence, and playfulness that infuse Cheng’s work are of a piece with his embrace of organic materials and processes and his commitment to making art in public spaces. Throughout, Cheng has consistently probed questions of natural agency and the extractive impact of humans on their environment, summed up in his frequent declarations, at once humorous, foreboding, and hopeful that “nature never loses,” “nature always wins,” and “nature is everything.”
The exhibition is organized by Alex Klein, Head Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs with assistance from Rachel Eboh, Curatorial Assistant.
After premiering at The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center (September 6 – December 8, 2024), Carl Cheng: Nature Never Loses will travel to Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania (ICA) (January 17, 2025 – April 6, 2025, modified version on view from April 25 – June 8, 2025); Bonnefanten (May 9, 2025 – September 28, 2025); Museum Tinguely (December 3, 2025 – May 10, 2026); Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (September 26, 2026 – February 28, 2027).
