[5][7] Cheng attended the University of California, Los Angeles in the 1960s for his bachelor's (1963) and master's (1967) degrees, initially studying fine art and industrial design before moving into photography and new media.
[11] He also spent time studying the Bauhaus-style curriculum at the Folkwang School of the Arts in Essen, Germany and briefly worked for designers Charles and Ray Eames.
[5][15] Cheng produced John Doe Co. brochures to advertise his works during this time, using the language of tools, machines, devices, and products to describe them.
[15] In Emergency Nature Supply Kit (1970), Cheng provided viewers with a handheld carrying case filled with a patch of grass and a device for playing bird sounds to be used in an apocalyptic scenario, as demonstrated in an included film strip.
[15] Cheng’s Natural Museum of Modern Art series (1978–80) created immersive, site-specific installation in a condemned building on the Santa Monica Pier.