Jay King (b. 1944) is a Chicago-based photographer known for his lifelong documentation of street life in the city, capturing both humorous and poignant moments among its people. The son of parents who met at the Art Institute of Chicago, King grew up immersed in books and art, developing an early interest in photography. As a teenager, he taught himself to use a Rolleiflex camera and to develop film.
At age 16, King spent a summer working as a studio assistant to portrait painter Ralph Cowan, learning large-format photography techniques. The following year, he assisted photographer Mort Shapiro, working in the darkroom and operating medium and large-format cameras. In 1961, he helped Shapiro photograph studio portraits and stage scenes of the original members of Chicago’s Second City comedy troupe.
After earning a degree in history from the University of Wisconsin in 1967, King returned to Chicago and began working professionally for small design firms and advertising agencies. By the late 1970s, he launched an independent studio practice, while continuing to walk the city streets with his camera, building a body of work that reveals his sensitivity to the humor, irony, and complexity of urban life.
In 1982, his work was featured in Jay King: Chicago/Photographer, an exhibition and accompanying catalogue presented by the Chicago Center for Contemporary Photography at Columbia College. His photographs are included in both private and public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
King continues to live outside of Chicago, where he works with select clients and prints gelatin silver photographs from a large archive of rediscovered early negatives.
Other works available upon request.