Bernard Kerr, Untitled (detail), 2024, ceramic installation, dimensions variable. Image courtesy of the artist.

BERNARD KERR

Presented as part of the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial (IOTA24), Coincident investigates the connection between objects and images, drawing on the histories of craft and art.

Eminent West Australian ceramist Bernard Kerr’s fourth solo show explores how ceramic objects are displayed, represented, perceived, and used in Western culture.

‘Coincident’ means ‘occurring together in space or time’ and ‘in agreement or harmony’, referring to Kerr’s interest in philosophy, craft, and examining the existing function, context and aesthetics of an object to convey meaning.

Kerr explains, "Utilitarian ceramic objects assume a different identity when presented as sculptural groupings or images. Coincident asks the viewer to question their perceptions of curated ceramic clusters, in contrast to these groupings being represented in still life painting and photography.”

Designed to complement the cultural conversations explored in the IOTA24 statewide festival, Coincident aims to shape conversations around the puzzling phenomenological relationship between our visual and tactile interactions with, and perceptions of, objects and images. In this case, Kerr’s hand-crafted ceramic objects and still life installations look to shape the conversation around the relationship between our perceptions, and the role of the maker.

Bernard Kerr has been influential in Western Australian Ceramic arts practice for over 45 years. Producing both functional and sculptural work in stoneware and porcelain, Kerr is a prolific artist and educator whose works are featured in international publications and held in government, private and corporate collections.

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With thanks to the support of Publication Sponsor, Gordon Darling Foundation, a limited edition Coincident catalogue will be available from 29 September, with pre-orders available.