American, 1937 - 1994
Declan Haun's pictures reveal the aspirations of a photographer who treated the thing before his lens with the utmost reverence and careful observation. The sum of Haun's photographs can be viewed through his working method that simultaneously sought the sharpness of pure design, the fleeting notion of the unexpected, and the devotion of a social conscious. These concerns are elevated through his mindfully crafted prints, which evoke his love for the subject and the process of photography.
Haun's career as a photographer began at the Charlotte Observer, at twenty-one. In 1963, he moved to Chicago where he spent the next fifteen years of his career as a freelance photographer whose clients included National Geographic, Life Magazine, Look, Time, and The Saturday Evening Post. During this time Declan, as well as many other talented photographers of his generation became involved with Black Star, a prestigious picture agency that represented his work until his death in 1994. Haun's interest in photography was not limited to the printed page, rather he had a great concern in establishing himself as a fine artist and print maker. His photographs were exhibited in numerous museum exhibitions including John Szarkowski's, The Photographers Eye, at the Museum of Modern Art.
From 1976 to 1982 Haun served as picture editor at the National Geographic Magazine, and at the Smithsonian Magazine from 1982 to 1984. He also planned and co-curated, Odyssey: the Art of Photography at National Geographic, for the Corcoran Gallery. Haun had an impact on educating young photographers as well, which he actively did for eleven years at George Washington University and through Missouri photographic workshops.
The photographs of Declan Haun are in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Photography, the High Museum of Atlanta, the Polaroid Collection, the Chrysler Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.