Duncan McCosker
Duncan McCosker was born in North Hollywood. He was inspired by both the French photographer Eugène Arget and the vibe of America's "beat" generation captured in Jack Kerouac's On the Road. Beside teaching at the University of San Diego, he followed his passion for capturing compelling images on film.
His prolific career as one of America's foremost artistic photographers has been celebrated in numerous museum shows as well as the inclusion of his works in the collections of many highly regarded museums. His work started as a means of documenting aspects of the unique lifestyles of Southern California. His photographs can be found in the permanent collections of many major institutions including the Brooklyn Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Harvard University Art Museum, and the Crocker Art Museum. When the Chrysler Museum honored the photographic works that best depicted America's "On The Road " approach to life, Duncan McCosker's works, along with the pictures of Ansel Adams, Lee Friedlander, Garry Winogrand and other photographer pioneers, were featured. His photographs were the subject of a touring exhibit presented throughout France by the United States Embassy in Paris.
Even while receiving international acclaim for his own works Duncan McCosker never lost his passion for teaching the next "beat" generations through the photographic arts, establishing the Visual Arts Department at the University of San Diego.
Curriculum Vitae
Professional Status
Professor of Art, University of San Diego
1994-2016
Associate Professor of Art, University of San Diego
1989-1993
Assistant Professor of Art, University of San Diego
1984-1988
Fellowships and Residencies
Senior Visiting Research Fellow, Australian Centre, University of Melbourne
2003
MacGeorge Fellowship, Australian Centre, University of Melbourne
2001
Visiting Artist/Scholar, American Academy in Rome
1997
Visiting Artist, Cité Internationale des Arts
1991, 1997
Selected One-Person Shows
Fitchburg Museum, Fitchburg, Pennsylvania
2002
Narodni Museum, Prague, Czech Republic
2000
Tijuana Cultural Center, Tijuana, Mexico
1997
Fletcher-Priest Gallery, Worcester, Massachusetts
1997
Harvard University, Carpenter Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts
1996
University of San Diego, San Diego, California
1994
Worcester Museum, Worcester, Massachusetts
1989
Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Virginia
1985
Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, California
1984
Gallery Lotti, Bologna, Italy
1984
Canon Photography Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
1983
University of San Diego, San Diego, California
1983
Selected Group Shows
Gene Autry Museum, Los Angeles, California
2002
Museet for Fotokunst, Brandts Klaedefabrik, Odense, Denmark
TBA
Kapfenberg Art Museum/Curated by Dr. Karl Irsigler, Museum of Modern Art, Vienna, Austria, Kapfenberg, Austria
2000
Biennale de la Photographie, Liege, Belgium
1997
California Museum of Photography, Riverside, California
1996
California Focus, Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA.
1994
The Photographer's Vision of the Industrial Age, Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA.
1992
Picturing California-A Century of Photographic Genius, Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, CA.
1992
Picturing California-A Century of Photographic Genius, Museum of Photographic Arts, Oakland, CA.
1992
Musee Nicephore Niepce, Chalon Sur Saone, France
1991
Museet for Fotokunst, Brandts Klaedefabrik, Odense, Denmark.
1991
San Diego Contemporary Marketplace at the Grove, San Diego, CA.
1990
Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, Florida
1988
California Museum of Photography, First Biennial Exhibition, Riverside, CA.
1987
Second International Fine Arts Festival (Drawing), Rosarito, Mexico
1986
Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Virginia
1985
National Museum of American Art, Washington, D.C.
1985
Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, California
1984
Alan Hancock College, Santa Maria, California
1983
California Museum of Photography, Riverside, California
1983
University of San Diego, San Diego, California
1983
Grossmont College Gallery, San Diego, California
1980
Permanent Collections
Musée de la Photographie
Mont sur Marcienne, Belgium
Historical Library of the City of Paris
Paris, France
National Museum of American Art
Washington D.C.
Victoria Albert Museum*
London, England
Worcester Art Museum
Worcester, Massachusetts
Museet for Fotokunst (Brandts Klaedefabrik)
Odense, Denmark
Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn, New York
Palazzo Fortuny
Venice, Italy
Collection of Paolo Costantini
Venice, Italy
Oriental Photographic
Los Angeles, California
Collection of Prince Andrew (Bathers)
Buckingham Palace, London, England
Stanford University Museum of Art
Stanford, California
Museum of Photographic Arts
San Diego, California
Yale University Art Gallery
New Haven, Connecticut
Bibliothêque Nationale
Paris, France
Museum of Modern Art
Vienna, Austria
Kunsthaus Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland
Collection of Lorenzo Merlo
Amsterdam, Holland
Chrysler Museum of Art
Norfolk, Virginia
New Orleans Museum of Art
New Orleans, Louisiana
*Work has been requested for acquisition to the permanent collection and possible exhibition.
Publications
WHAT WE LOOK LIKE. US Embassy Paris traveling Exhibit. DMFPAB. 2022
Inventory Book: The Photography of Duncan McCosker. University of San Diego. 2017; Akin Gump LLC. pro-bono. 2023
Within The Realm of Pleasure and Desire. Duncan McCosker. 2015
Between Men & Angeles. A Miniature Book. Duncan McCosker. 2008
Madonna/Medusa. Photographic catalog accompanying Madonna/Medusa exhibition at Kapfenburg. 2000.
An Index to American Photographic Collections.
(Included in George Eastman House Photographers'Biography Project.)
February, l988.
Zyzzyva. (Photographic work included.) Winter, l988.
Pequeñas Revelationes. Small Revelations. Mexico. 1987.
In Our Image: Readings in the Humanities and Technology.
(Author of "Introduction to Technology and Art.")
September, l985.
Bathers. A photographic monograph. San Diego. 1981.
Selected Reviews
"Focus" surveys California's Art Landscpe. Los Angeles Times. August 16, 1996.
Reader Magazine. Art Reviews by Jonathan Saville. December 8, 1994.
Show Pivotal for San Diego Art Scene. San Diego Union. April 5, 1987.
Photography Pivotal in the San Diego Art Scene. Photo Metro. April, 1987.
The Beach. Chrysler Museum Monthly Bulletin. July/August, l985.
"The Beach Takes Hard Look at Americans". Virginian Pilot and the Ledger Star.
July 14, l985.
"The Beach. Review of Duncan McCosker and Ray Metzker at the Chrysler Museum". American Photographer Magazine. September, l985.
San Diego Arts Review. Los Angeles Times. March, 1984.
“Portfolio: Duncan McCosker".
Featured photographer in British Journal of Photography. January, l984.
Review of Subway and Bathers (MoPA show including the work of Bruce Davidson). San Diego Tribune. March, l984.
Review of Bathers and Subway. Artweek, March, 1984.
Interview with Lea Goldman, Museum of Photographic Arts Newsletter. March, 1984.
Reflexions 11: Duncan E. McCosker. November, 1983.
“T Paradijs bestaat noq", The Journalist. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. December, l983.
Review of Bathers, Creative Camera, March l983.
"Images of Eden, A Photographic Perspective". Reader Magazine, l980.
Public Lectures and Interviews
Interviews for Mexican Television stations: TV Azteca, TV Televisa Tijuana
Centro Cultural Tijuana, 1997
Lecture, Photography
University of San Diego, 1995
Summertime Lecture
Worcester Art Museum, 1987
Interview, Boston Radio
Worcester Art Museum, 1987
Lecture on Photography and Art
University of the Third Age, University of San Diego, 1988
Lecture on Photography
Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, 1986
Bathers Lecture
Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, 1984
Lecture on Photography
Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, 1984
Lecture on Edward Curtis
University of San Diego, 1980
Lecture on Edward Curtis
University of San Diego, 1981
Lecture
Grossmont College, 1978