Momentum Spotlight Artist: Emily Kern

Again this year, Momentum Tulsa will feature a special program called Momentum Spotlight, which awarded 3 artists each $1500 and a few months of interaction with the curators Scott Perkins and Frank Wick. One of the selected artists is Emily Kern of Stillwater. Guest Blogger Kristin Gentry gives us a brief preview of Emily's project. To see the project installed, come to Momentum Tulsa on October 10 at Living Arts new gallery, 307 E. Brady in Tulsa's Brady Arts District. The exhibition will remain on display through October 24.
Emily Kern, Momentum Spotlight Emerging Artist 2009
Walking into a calm and meditative space lined with memory-filled oil paintings, some lithographs, and some sculpture is how Emily Kern envisions her body of work for the viewers at the 2009 Momentum Tulsa: Art Doesn’t Stand Still exhibition. Her body of work, “Meditative Space: A New Generation,” gives the viewer the chance to decide for themselves if and how they need calm in their life. Emily draws memory-landscapes from her own life because it’s the only one to which she has full access in attaining a lifetime of imagery. Her works speak on the issue of living in a world bombarded with constant images, techno-information constantly emitting, and the noise created by all our detractions from actual living. From the works I’ve seen, the colors Emily chooses are very natural earthen tones with mixtures of cool tones mixed in. At a second glance one will see a pattern across the landscapes. Emily has a strong interest in a simpler time in life in which we are returned again to a childlike state of simplicity. Emily takes a simple spirograph drawing toy from childhood to create patterned designs atop of her paintings. To further develop her idea, Emily built a very large scale wooden spirograph, like something similar to a Claes Oldenburg sculpture. Her kinetic sculpture-spirograph is planned to be on display for use at Momentum on October 10.
Without a doubt, Emily fits the description of her title of “Emerging Artist.” Emily is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Oklahoma State University, with graduation next May. She definitely thinks that Momentum is important for emerging artists in Oklahoma since it’s one of the few shows that recognize a large number of young artists. She sees her Momentum Spotlight opportunity as a “fantastic rare chance” since she gets to work closely with the curators to complete a more comprehensive show. The amount of individual attention she receives from this opportunity is on a plane that’s not always available at the university level. With her body of work she’s creating for Momentum Tulsa, Emily believes that she will be better prepared to enter into an MFA painting program when she finishes at Oklahoma State University.