Pascal Kern

French, 1952–2007

BiographyBorn in 1952, Pascal Kern lived and worked in Paris, where he studied at the Sorbonne. He used photography to produce ‘sculptures’, which explore the question of volume in all its aspects: the relationships between volume and surface, fullness and emptiness, mass and colour, depth and contour. Using found or natural forms, he elevated the every-day to an almost iconic status; fascinated with the space created and occupied by the subject, and the purity of its form. The metal industrial objects and wooden moulds were retrieved from old factories and foundries, while the vegetables were grown from seed. The artist lived with his subject matter for a period of time before photographing, taking only one photograph. The cibachrome photographs of each subject are presented as diptychs, triptychs or polyptychs, in frames constructed with related materials. The final stage in the long process of crafting these incredible works was for them to be hung specifically (with precise instructions from the artist) to achieve a perfect balance; the work appearing almost weightless whilst creating an unusually powerful presence. Pascal Kern’s work is included in numerous international private and museum collections, and has been exhibited worldwide since 1980.

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