The Unchosen Ones exhibition, Plaza de la Inmaculada, Palencia, Spain through May 29, 2022.
The Unchosen Ones exhibition, Plaza de la Inmaculada, Palencia, Spain through May 29, 2022. This site-specific public art exhibition consists of 15 photographs by R. J. Kern displayed on five cubes (70 x 70 x 70 inches).
I’m proud to share my work is exhibited as part of the International Photography Festival of Castilla y León, curated by Anne Morin and supported by Century Foundation for Tourism and the Arts of Castile and León. Photographs: Tessa Demichel. More information: www.fifcyl.com/en
As part of the International Photography Festival of Castilla y León (Palencia, Spain). Alison Nordström and I shared in a virtual conversation in April 2022. We spoke about The Unchosen Ones project, my roots as a photographer, and what’s next for the creative project. Special thank you to Anne Morin for her support, as well as the Century Foundation for Tourism and the Arts of Castile and León. More information: www.fifcyl.com/en
Float photo magazine review’s R. J. Kern’s monograph, The Unchosen Ones (MW Editions, 2021).
"In the end, when we look at these images, we are faced with both the feeling of disappointment, but we are also able to share the joy that these youth brought for taking care of their animals in preparation for this show,” writes Float photo magazine’s Dana Stirling in her book review, published April 24, 2022. The book, “deals with the notions of failure, disappointment, childhood, aging and in a way this is also a story of American history, culture and future.” Stirling considers Richard Avedon and Myoung Ho Lee in consideration of the formal use of the backdrop, “a powerful statement and it breaks the fourth wall that photography often creates.”
A special thank you to Ibarionex Perello for his podcast interview on The Candid Frame, Episode 581, released on March 22, 2022. You can download the latest episode by clicking here >>
On March 12, join me for BookEnds Online Edition, a book talk sponsored by the Wadena County Historical Society in collaboration with the New York Mills Cultural and Historical Center and the Five Wings Art Council. The goal: a monthly literary event connecting readers and writers. I enjoyed the Q&A engagement with those who joined us. Special thank you to Lina Belar for inviting me to be apart of this wonderful group supporting my creative practice. We enjoyed an hour-long conversation, and you may listen in to our conversation, available below.
BookEnds Online Edition, a virtual book talk recording with R. J. Kern, The Unchosen Ones book, Wadena County Historical Society in collaboration with the New York Mills Cultural and Historical Center and the Five Wings Art Council. Recorded: March 12, 2022.
Book review of The Unchosen Ones (MW Editions, 2021) by W. Scott Olsen in Frames magazine, published February 21, 2022.
Writes W. Scott Olsen in Frames magazine:
"We have all been there. Hope. Ambition. Dreams. Hard Work. The Moment. And then, disappointment. For whatever reason, sometimes justly and sometimes not, we did not get selected, recognized, rewarded. We didn’t do anything wrong. We simply did not do something right enough.There is nothing tragic in these moments. They are necessary for growing up, for developing humility and empathy, for becoming humane. But that does not mean they are easy. For photographer R. J. Kern, these are moments of compassion and sympathy. Revisited four years later, they are moments of illumination.”
"Kern’s book, The Unchosen Ones, is a collection of compassionate, insightful, beautiful portraits. And the book is made even more striking because of a second look.”
"The images in this book are pairings. And if one image opens a window, the pairing walks us outside. Two insightful images, and the implied/perceived distance between them, make this, frankly, an important book.”
…
Thank you, W. Scott Olsen, for your insight and thoughtful words. I’m appreciative we connected last September at Concordia College. Always nice to see interdisciplinary writing and photography talents merge in the photo book world.
“To find the wealth of information trees have to share,” writes paleoclimatologist Dr. Valerie Trouet in Tree Story, “we must simply learn how to look.”
From February 5 – July 23, 2022, the Center for Creative Photography (CCP) and the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research (LTRR) will stage installations together that follow historical, cultural, and scientific narratives inspired by trees.
With more than 75 images and objects assembled from CCP and LTRR’s collections, trees stir in their leaves creates a multilayered experience with photography and dendrochronology (the study of annual rings in trees) in CCP’s Alice Chaiten Baker Interdisciplinary Gallery.
My work from Truffle Dogs will be installed along with works by Ansel Adams, Lola Álvarez Bravo, Barbara Crane, Kozo Miyoshi, Doug and Mike Starn, Aaron Siskind, Rosalind Solomon, John Yang and more.
Trees, Community Art Installation, Alice Chaiten Baker Interdisciplinary Gallery, Center for Creative Photography, Tuscon, AZ
Authentic Portraiture featuring Painterly Lighting (Outside the Studio)
Thu Feb 3, 2022 3:00pm - 4:00pm ET (Recorded)
How do you create a signature style with lighting? What is your go-to travel kit when traveling? Why is hiding your main light with your fill light important? How does color add to a painterly aesthetic? What is the value of a leaf shutter and shooting medium format? I will answer all these questions and more, as I teach you my approach to painterly portraiture.
This session is recorded and you may watch here:
Detail of blind embossing on cover of R. J. Kern, The Unchosen Ones: Portraits of an American Pastoral.
“This coming-of-age process, set in the rural environment of Minnesota, is effectively and elegantly narrated in this photobook by R. J. Kern. One is also reminded of similarly noble and historically valuable rural documentation projects by Disfarmer and others…. A spellbinding presentation.”
— Gerhard Clausing, Associate Editor of the PhotoBook Journal
Here is the recorded virtual book launch and artist talk with the Center for Photographic Art (Carmel, CA) as part of their lecture series held on January 13, 2022. Thank you to Ann Jastrab for the invitation and the 50 participants in the presentation. You may watch the show below.
To help a rising tide, I’m excited to share something big: a complimentary, four-part series of talks focused on helping emerging fine-art photographers.
Talk 1. Going from Weddings to Fine Art: 5 Tips for Emerging Fine Art Photographers
Wed Jan 12, 2022 3:00pm - 4:00pm ET
I will share tips vital to artists’ careers that are not taught in art school, including: working with a book publisher, landing a gallery, structuring limited editions, pricing work, and how to stay happy through it all.
SanDisk product experts will also be on hand to answer any questions, and will raffle off a SanDisk Portable SSD at the end to those in attendance Sponsored by SanDisk
Talk 2. Finding, Identifying, and Engaging Your Audience in Fine Art Photography
Wed Jan 19, 2022 3:00pm - 4:00pm ET
Cultivating the right audience can make or break your business. I will talk in depth about what it takes to build your business, from branding and marketing to developing an online presence, putting together a portfolio and the various venues (galleries, museums, art fairs, etc.) to explore with your art.
Talk 3. Authentic Portraiture featuring Painterly Lighting (Outside the Studio)
Thu Feb 3, 2022 3:00pm - 4:00pm ET
How do you create a signature style with lighting? What is your go-to travel kit when traveling? Why is hiding your main light with your fill light important? How does color add to a painterly aesthetic? What is the value of a leaf shutter and shooting medium format? I will answer all these questions and more, as he teaches you his approach to painterly portraiture.
Talk 4. Business Practices for Fine Artist Photographers: A Crash Course
Thu Feb 10, 2022 3:00pm - 4:00pm ET
In the final part of this four-part series, I will dive into the best business practices for fine art photographers. If you are in the fine art world, or looking to break in, join us for the ultimate crash course for this section of the industry. How does one nurture a gallery relationship and how to know when to quit? Why is it important to differentiate between when a project is complete vs ongoing (some go on for years)? Why does this matter? Why does having a “shtick” matter? How important is publishing a book for a fine-art career? What are some of the outcomes (positive, negative)? How do you build a CV? How do you get work into a museum collection? How do I price and edition work? What are important factors to consider when negotiating a representation contract with a gallery? What factors go into the decisions of exhibiting competed work in a space (framing, mounting, transporting)? How does an artist assess effectiveness of marketing opportunities (art fairs, portfolio reviews, framing a large show)?
"That's pretty cool," said Gus, hearing the news that his portrait (among others) were published in The Guardian (UK) today. What joy sharing the news! Thank you, Sarah Gilbert, for the photo feature, a lovely outcome from the Format portfolio review last March.
R. J. Kern published on December 23, 2021 in the Culture section of The Guardian (UK).
When I began my research into the technical realms of medium format photography and advanced lighting tools a decade ago, I leaned into the resources on the website, Luminous Landscape. The forums were filled with people who loved to share and help with all things technical. Most of the enthusiasts are highly skilled engineers, executive professionals passionate about photography. Often, I’d need a PhD to understand the answers to my questions, but this is where I learned what I know today.
I was excited when Josh Reichmann offered to share my work on the very platform that inspired me in early 2010. It’s full circle, sharing more about the “why to” and less on the “how to.” Since, I had a lovely experience working with Abby Ferguson, we collaborated again to share a deeper story.
Three prints from The Unchosen Ones project are exhibited in Berlin, Germany as part of “Portraits Without Borders” group show, Fotogalerie Friedrichshain through Feb 4, 2022. The show brings together 29 artists from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South America, and North America, selected from 260 applications last fall.
Fotogalerie Friedrichshain doesn’t follow the “pay to play” notion, prevalent in the US photo exhibition scene. They’ve stood the test of time, as they were the first art gallery in former East Germany to focus only on photography. Exhibition opportunities like this are a wonderful opportunity to connect with other artists and see work in a similar vein. Thank you to Claire Ducresson-Boët for the installation photographs.
These pastoral studies feature Carlana, Eric, and Hannah from The Unchosen Ones (pictured left to right).
Thank you to my friend Aline Smithson for her interview and kind words about my newest book on Lenscratch. Read Article >>
©R. J. Kern, Book cover of The Chosen Ones, published by MW Editions
I'm excited to share this segment from Minnesota Live / KSTP to promote the new book, The Unchosen Ones. Original air date, December 1, 2021.
Special thanks to Jason DeRusha and Heather Brown from CBS Minnesota / WCCO MidMorning featuring this TV spot. Original Air Date: Fri., Nov. 26.
R. J. Kern spent years traveling across the entire state, traveling from fair to fair, and finding the children who didn't take home the title of grand champion.
“Chins up, heads high, The Unchosen Ones faced the camera again,” wrote Jennifer Brooks in her article, “New book celebrates Minnesota kids who didn't win at the county fair” in the Star Tribune on November 27, 2021. She quoted several of the kids from the project, offering lessons on resillence. Thank you, Jennifer, for spending time sharing the project!
Kol and Annabell at the 2016 Anoka County Fair. From the upcoming book, “The Unchosen Ones,” by R. J. Kern.
I enjoyed my conversation with Noah Fish at Agweek in his article, “New photo book highlights humanity of Minnesota's 4-H members,” published on November 27, 2021.
Photographer R.J. Kerns in 2020 visited Minnesota 4-H members who he previously had photographed in 2016 after their animals were not chosen at winners at county fairs.
Finding success in a single area of the photography industry is no small task. I sat down with writer Abby Ferguson one afternoon to share my five tips for emerging fine art photographers. A rising tide raises all ships, and this is my way I like to help other photographers succeed. READ IT HERE >>
