Featured Work

Concordia College: Visiting Artist Workshop, Exhibition & Artist Talk

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Concordia College invited me recently to be a visiting artist, complete with a series of lighting workshops for undergrad photo students, an exhibition of nine works, and an artist talk. I also made it my “unofficial book reveal” as well as a short documentary series I’ve been working on for the last year. Three participants from The Unchosen Ones project: Kenzi, Rylie, and Louis, stood up with a round of applause during my talk. I was proud to see them in the audience, along with their significant others. I brought the same backdrop and lighting equipment used for the series whiling indulging students in the nuances of how to “hide your main light with your fill” as well as other technicals.

After almost a year in production for the book, this experience offered reason enough for the effort. Special thanks to Chris Mortenson for the invitation and the Faculty of Fine Arts for their support. You make this artist SWOON! Photo credit: Chris Mortenson

The college newspaper, The Concordian, did a nice write-up, thanks to David Lindgren >>

The exhibition was installed in the Gallery Bridge at Concordia College, depicted below at night. Photograph by R. J. Kern.

Life Framer, Editors’ Pick

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A diptych of portraits created on the fairgrounds in Anoka County (Minnesota), were featured as a Editor’s Pick by Life Framer in their most recent online them, Youthhood. View editor’s list here >>

My work straddles multiple genres, not specific to portraiture or landscape, and I love the freedom it gives me as a photographic artist. When it comes to entering contests, I don’t want to be put into a box. I like the Life Framer themes are focused on storytelling with themes open to boundary pushing, not compartmentalization.

While not selected for the big prize, my work was chosen as an “Editors’ Pick” with thoughtful comments, published on their website. Editor’s comment:

Some of us – for many reasons – have to grow up faster than others, and few more so than those working on family farms. Farmland is a wonderful place to explore as a child, but it is also full or responsibility and care, where you can at times witness birth, life and death in quicker succession than normally experienced in an urban setting. There is so much joy and pride in this image, underpinned by a strong selection of tones and shades. I truly feel the confidence of the subject, enjoying their childhood and the duties that accompany it, seemingly unaffected by the past years obstacles.

What makes this pairing unique in the project is it is the only location that remained the same in both 2016 portrait and 2020 portraits. Special permission and access was required to create the 2020 portrait.

Kol and Annabell, Anoka County Fair, Minnesota, 2016 (left) paired with Kol and Annabell, Anoka County, Minnesota, 2020 (right).

Kol and Annabell, Anoka County Fair, Minnesota, 2016 (left) paired with Kol and Annabell, Anoka County, Minnesota, 2020 (right).

Rourke Art Museum 62nd Invitational Exhibition

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If I was a champion sheep, you’d call me “Salty Frog.” I’d have an earring with my name badge, too. Only fitting, “Salty Frog” will be exhibited at the Rourke Art Museum as part of the 62nd Invitational Exhibition, running 18 June - 5 September 2021. Theme: On the Autobiographical Impulse. This is the fifth year I’ve been apart of the show. I always look forward to re-connecting with the community where I had my coffee shop show in 2014 which helped launch my career as a fine-art photographer.

Supreme Champion Ewe (Salty Frog) 2018 Minnesota State Fair. This salt over pigment print was the exhibition print during my solo Burnet Fine Art exhibition in 2019. Ed 1 of 5, 20 x 24 inches. $3000

Supreme Champion Ewe (Salty Frog) 2018 Minnesota State Fair. This salt over pigment print was the exhibition print during my solo Burnet Fine Art exhibition in 2019. Ed 1 of 5, 20 x 24 inches. $3000

Open Call Winner | Helsinki Photo Festival

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My work was selected by an international panel of jurors to be exhibited at the Helsinki Photo Festival 2021, July 7 - September 30, 2021. The theme “fearless” will be a thread through the 50 winners selected.

Can being fearless improve your life or will it ruin it? What does it take to lose your fear? Can we live without fear or will it make us numb? These questions were considered in my approach of re-photographing The Unchosen Ones in 2020.

Special thank you to the Judging panel: Alexa Becker, Andy Adams, Curt Richter, Emanuela Mirabelli, Karoliina Korpilahti, Marianne Ager, Moritz Neumüller, Naoya Yoshikawa, Federico Estol, Rafael Rybczynski, Stefan Bremer, Stig Marlon Weston.

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LEFT: Emma and Ethan with sheep, Blue Earth County Fair, Minnesota, 2016, RIGHT: Emma and Ethan, Blue Earth County, Minnesota, 2020, Archival pigment prints, editioned, by R. J. Kern.

LEFT: Emma and Ethan with sheep, Blue Earth County Fair, Minnesota, 2016, RIGHT: Emma and Ethan, Blue Earth County, Minnesota, 2020, 20 x 24 inches, archival pigment print, edition of 10 + 2 AP, by R. J. Kern.

Analog Forever Magazine {Feature}

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Selections from my series The Best of the Best will be published in Analog Forever Magazine, Edition 4 (released Summer 2021). I am proud to have work featured in this beautiful printed publication focused on analog photography. I’ll be joined by nine analog and experimental photographers from around the globe, "each exploring various methods for using the medium we love in individual, creative ways."

Inside you will find interviews with Chris McCaw, Joseph R. Webb, and David Michael Kennedy. Featured alongside them are portfolio features of Galina Kurlat, Marky Kauffmann, Mateusz Zurowski, Olivier Du Tré, Vanessa Leroy, and yours truly.

Thank you to Michael Kirchoff for his efforts in leading this magazine. I also want to thank Nick Brandreth, who taught me salt printing techniques at the George Eastman House, my master printer, Ethan Jones, who created the archival digital print (before the salt is applied by me), and Keith Taylor, for his patience in troubleshooting.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY >>

Analog Forever Magazine, Edition 4 (released Summer 2021) will feature the work of R. J. Kern, among others.

Analog Forever Magazine, Edition 4 (released Summer 2021) will feature the work of R. J. Kern, among others.

Denver Month of Photography

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I’m excited to connect with new audiences back in my roots: Denver! The Denver Month of Photography is a biennial festival celebrating the art of photography, presented by the Colorado Photographic Arts Center. What a creative way to share work outside— projected images on a clocktower! I’m excited to be apart of the outdoor, “Reimagining Hope,” exhibition juried by Samantha Johnston.

I’m looking forward to participating in the portfolio reviews… and even dragged along a good friend to participate, Matt Steaffens. Matt, a long-time friend, has been working on a street photography project which will surely catch the attention of lovers the work of Cartier-Bresson! He took the trip downtown to document the installation view… and he will be making his first portfolio review debut. I’m cheering for him!

“Kenzi and Hootie, Anoka County, Minnesota, 2020” installation view. Photograph by Matthew Steaffens.

“Kenzi and Hootie, Anoka County, Minnesota, 2020” installation view. Photograph by Matthew Steaffens.

“Reimagining Hope,” exhibition juried by Samantha Johnston as part of Night Light Denver. Photograph by Matthew Steaffens.

“Reimagining Hope,” exhibition juried by Samantha Johnston as part of Night Light Denver. Photograph by Matthew Steaffens.

PaperCity - HCP Auction Preview

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Bid high, big often! Special thank you to Haley Berkman Karren for mentioning my work in her PaperCity article, “Vaunted Photography Print Auction Celebrates 40 Years With New Treasures — 10 Beautiful Pieces to Bid On,” on February 8, 2021. Lots of amazing prints in the auction to include Cindy Sherman, Pentti Sammallahti, Adam Neese, and more! This is the 40th anniversary of the Houston Center for Photography (HCP), dedicated to promoting photography and pushing the medium forward since 1981. Yet, it won’t be the same without Clint Willour, who passed recently.

Karren writes, “I was introduced to R.J. Kern’s work when I met the photographer this past spring at the FotoFest Meeting Place Portfolio Review. Kern explores ideas of home, ancestry and place through the interaction of people, animals and cultural landscapes. In this beautiful and expansive photograph, Kern depicts Icelandic sheep roaming the edge of a lake. Kern draws influence from 19th-century landscape painters, particularly in their use of light and composition.”

More info on the 2021 Virtual Print Auction >>

Purchase tickets >>

“Vaunted Photography Print Auction Celebrates 40 Years With New Treasures — 10 Beautiful Pieces to Bid On,” by Haley Berkman Karren, PaperCity, February 8, 2021.

“Vaunted Photography Print Auction Celebrates 40 Years With New Treasures — 10 Beautiful Pieces to Bid On,” by Haley Berkman Karren, PaperCity, February 8, 2021.

HCP Print Auction 2021

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I’m excited to be apart of the Houston Center for Photography’s 2021 Virtual Print Auction. This is the second time I’ve participated and am happy to be in good company with fellow artist friends Susan Kae Grant, Robert Langham III (chief instigator), Pentti Sammallahti. It’s a great cause to support a wonderful photography organization. And they always do a wonderful job on designing and printing the auction catalogue >>. Online Bidding Begins Thursday, February 4, 2021. Auction: Thursday, February 18, 2021 @ 6 pm CST

I’ve donated this print, which I hope offers warmth and a bit of humor to the new collector. This bunch of marshmallow puff balls can’t wait for their new home!

The Lifeguards, Lake Myvatn, Iceland (2014), from the series Divine Animals: The Bovidae and published in The Sheep and the Goats (Kehrer Verlag, 2018). Edition 2 of 7 +AP, archival pigment print, 24.5 x 32 inches.

The Lifeguards, Lake Myvatn, Iceland (2014), from the series Divine Animals: The Bovidae and published in The Sheep and the Goats (Kehrer Verlag, 2018). Edition 2 of 7 +AP, archival pigment print, 24.5 x 32 inches.

Bid high, big often!

Bid high, big often!

Group Exhibition at Olson Larsen Gallery

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I’m proud to share my work at Olson-Larsen Galleries with THE ANIMAL SHOW, October 9 - November 26, 2020, along with six other artists, all representing the animal kingdom including work by Michael Brangoccio, Kirsten Furlong, Paula Schuette Kraemer, Gary Olson, Randy Richmond, and Tilly Woodward. It has been a joy working with Alyss and Susan preparing for this show. The space is welcoming and warm, just like the people and art!

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I will conduct an Instagram Live event on Oct 22 at 6:00pm CT with @olsonlarsengalleries. The Top 5 favorite questions will earn a little hand-written surprise by yours truly :) I’ll tell a few stories about my subjects featured in “The Animal Show,” including some of the most famous—and infamous—goats in the world published by Kehrer Verlag. Susan and Alyss will join me in a discussion about starting and building an art collection, too. Of course, we'll share our geeky enthusiasm on the topic including the top purchases related to collecting art under $100 we’ve made and more!

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Virtual Artist Books (U of MN feature)

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The University of Minnesota library recently shared an interview about virtual artists’ books, highlighting The Best of the Best: A Virtual Artist Book.

The idea of the artists’ book is that you are combining the aesthetic of an object with a concept,” says Deborah Ultan, Curator of the Francis V. Gorman Rare Art Books & Media Collection. “You’re creating something that is both visually exciting as much as or maybe more so even than the text.”

Click to read >>

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AINT BAD

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I met Taylor Curry and Carson Sanders (Co-Owner / Publisher of Aint-Bad) at FotoFest last week, just before it was cancelled due to COVID-19. They enjoyed The Best of the Best and gave it some love and shared on their social media channels. Thanks, gents! Here’s the profile >>

Supreme Champion Stock Dog Male / Female Pair, 2018 Minnesota State Fair, salt print over archival pigment print, Edition of 5 sized 20 x 24 inches , Edition of 10 sized 8 x 10 inches.

Supreme Champion Stock Dog Male / Female Pair, 2018 Minnesota State Fair, salt print over archival pigment print, Edition of 5 sized 20 x 24 inches , Edition of 10 sized 8 x 10 inches.

Love, Minnesota - group exhibition

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What makes Minnesota so unique? Is it its people? It’s weather? Its landmarks? Minnesota has helped give rise to some amazing talents - from The Replacements, Judy Garland, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Bob Dylan, Prince and now Lizzo - and is consistently ranked in the top states to live in in the US. Minnesota is diverse, accepting, thriving, colloquial, and proud. 

This show brings together a dozen Minnesota-based artists in an exhibition to celebrate Minnesota. From distinctive landscapes and portraits, abstract paintings and figurative works, each artist will present art that captures how Minnesota has inspired them, whether it be its people, places, icons or animals. The exhibition will be hosted at the Kristi Abbott Gallery & Studio in Minneapolis.  Big thanks to Kristi for inviting me to join in this ‘collaborative exhibition.’

Exhibition Dates:
Opening Reception - March 5th, 2020 - 7pm - 11pm
Closing Party - April 10th, 2020 - 5pm - 9pm

Exhibiting Artists:
Kristi Abbott, Ta-coumba T. Aiken, Shane Anderson, Linda Clayton Behr, Christina Rossi Hankins, Coreen Johnson, R. J. Kern, Sue Mooney, Alison Price, Heather Renaux, Greta Kusilek Sandquist, and Adam Turman.

A group exhibition of Minnesota-based artists, Kristi Abbott Gallery & Studio, March 5 - April 10, 2020.

A group exhibition of Minnesota-based artists, Kristi Abbott Gallery & Studio, March 5 - April 10, 2020.

United Nations of Photography {Podcast Interview}

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In episode 89, UNP founder and curator Grant Scott interviewed me in his podcast, A Photographic Life. In the podcast, he talked about the purpose of a photo book, the pressure put on photographers, and the rise of the ‘photo-entrepreneur’. In the podcast, he asked for an audio response to the question: ‘What Does Photography Mean to You?’ CLICK HERE TO LISTEN >>

Grant Scott also directed one of my favorite recent films about photography, a documentary film, Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay which features folks I adore such as Magnum Photographer David Hurn and photo consultant Mary Virginia Swanson. Stream the documentary on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd47549knOU&t=3915s.

Grant Scott interviews R. J. Kern in the podcast, A Photographic Life, on January 8, 2020.

Grant Scott interviews R. J. Kern in the podcast, A Photographic Life, on January 8, 2020.

InsideHook Feature

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Photographs from the series the Divine Animals: The Bovidae and The Best of the Best were featured by InsideHook “No One Shoots an Animal Quite Like Photographer R. J. Kern” by Elyssa Goodman on December 6, 2019. I enjoyed meeting Elyssa at the Center for Photography at Woodstock Auction in New York in October and appreciate her writing on photography and the arts.

She writes: “As much as Kern’s work is about analyzing part of a cultural landscape, it’s also an internal exploration. One of the ways he does that is by looking at what he calls beauty ‘in the common’ — or at least what is common to him, among the bucolic landscape he now calls home.”

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MPR News feature

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As a long-time listener and support of NPR, I am excited to share Tim Nelson’s article: “Say cheese curds! State Fair champion animals celebrated with fine art photograph” published by MPR News on August 30, 2019. I enjoyed my time at the fair with Tim!

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Here we are at the “selfie” wall at the MPR booth at the 2019 Minnesota State Fair:

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Legacy Matters podcast interview

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Thank you to Sam Devine, James Holmberg, and Sarah Anderson for hosting me on Episode 48 of the Legacy Matters podcast which went live this week. We spoke about tricks behind the Commemorative Artwork for the 2019 Minnesota State Fair, inspirations from the history of photography and animal husbandry, and why legacy matters (the title of the podcast, of course). The four of us had a wonderful conversation, filled with lots of good laughs as well as insight into my fine art practice.

Listen to this Legacy Matters podcast interview, Episode 48: R. J. Kern, for a few good laughs and insight into my working process as a fine-art photographer in MInneapolis.

Listen to this Legacy Matters podcast interview, Episode 48: R. J. Kern, for a few good laughs and insight into my working process as a fine-art photographer in MInneapolis.