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September 2006: Kerry Moore

Multiple Roles for Artist Kerry Moore and the Objects He Makes

At first glance, Kerry Moore’s sculptures appear to be unassuming, everyday objects that don’t cry out for attention. But a closer look reveals that the objects speak volumes, telling everything from their maker’s expert craftsmanship to their ability to assume a myriad of roles beyond what are assumed to be their “normal” places in the world. Moore has a gift for making intricate replicas of common, recognizable objects and juxtaposing them in ways that can be both humorous and tension-filled. Viewers are drawn into his miniature environments where they encounter objects that are familiar in form but foreign in function. A small tricycle pulling a door over ten times its size. A swimming pool inside a suitcase with a “diving” board that needs at ladder at the jumping end. A doll-sized house with an unexploded bomb that fills the entire second floor. These are the delightfully sculpted worlds of Kerry Moore.

Current Exhibition at Emory University
Kerry Moore’s current exhibition at Emory’s Visual Arts Gallery (on view through October 7, 2006 as part of the exhibition KM Squared = Kerry Moore + Katherine Mitchell) is a retrospective of sorts, with work spanning the last twenty years of his career. “The exhibition is representative of the type of work that I have been doing since I moved to Atlanta in 1987,” says Moore. “Prior to that, I was primarily making smaller kinetic sculptures and jewelry, but I felt constrained by the non-objective qualities of the materials. When I moved to Atlanta where no one knew me, I saw it as an opportunity to re-invent myself and my art. I kept the same sense of miniature that jewelry-making requires but began looking at commonplace objects around me for inspiration - objects that have meaning to my everyday life, like a shovel or a ladder or a tricycle. I explore the potential of these objects, playing with their scale and function, sometimes over periods of several months, to create my sculptures.”

Sam and Jack’s Father
Coming up with enough sculptures to fill the space at the Visual Arts Gallery was not an easy task for Moore. He had intended to cull from his archives as well as make some new work, but with family obligations and a busy teaching schedule, finding time to make new work was next to impossible. However, Moore shows no anger or resentment over the lack of time for himself. When asked about his greatest artistic achievement, his immediate and sincere reply is “my sons Sam and Jack.” He continues, “I love being a husband, a father, and a fix-it guy around my house. These are the choices that I have gladly made at this point in my life. I can always return to making art when my children have grown, and I can sign on with a dealer when I have the time to make the work required of gallery representation. For now my family is my priority, and I make art when I can.”

Sally Radell’s Husband
Although he knew that it would be difficult to manage the demands of an exhibition, Moore jumped at the chance to have a show at the Visual Arts Gallery. “For a long time everyone seemed to know me only as ‘Sally Radell’s husband,’” says Moore. “Sally has been at Emory for many years and she is very outgoing and personable; everyone knows her. As much as I take pride in who she is, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to show the community what I do.”

Teaching at Emory
Moore is currently in his fourth year of teaching for the Visual Arts Program at Emory. “What is really great, particularly at Emory, is the sense of community that teaching gives me,” says Moore. “It can get too lonely and isolated in my studio. It’s a real pleasure to come to Emory to connect with like-minded, interesting people.” Although he has taught sculpture classes on occasion, Kerry primarily teaches Drawing & Painting, which he claims is not much of a stretch. “I don’t make much distinction between 2D and 3D,” says Moore. “Good design is good design – it knows no dimensions. Many of my major influences are painters like Edward Hopper and Giorgio de Chirico, who crafted semi-literal landscapes and wonderful imaginary spaces. Plus, I believe that learning to draw is integral to a basic understanding of art concepts, so I like working with students at that level.”

Critical Acclaim
Moore’s exhibition at the Visual Arts Gallery was recently hailed by Atlanta Journal-Constitution art critic Jerry Cullum as a “must-see,” among other equally glowing observations. Moore is grateful for the good press, but he tries to keep it in perspective: “I’ve been fortunate to receive only good reviews in my career thus far, so it’s difficult to say how I’d react to something negative. But for the most part, when I make something, at a certain point I surrender ownership. Jerry Cullum cited humor in my work as a primary element, but I did not always have humor in mind when I made those sculptures. But the work was his to interpret. Good art communicates on a number of different levels and I like to think that my work speaks to people in many different ways, even ones that I did not intend. I think there has been an expectation from some people that the review would radically change things for me. The review definitely opened some doors for me for future exhibitions, and all the attention from my friends and colleagues has been nice, but it has not resulted in any sales for me and I still have to pay for my coffee and the MARTA. Life pretty much goes on as it always did.”

What’s Next?
Kerry Moore will continue to be very busy for the foreseeable future. The suitcase sculptures from the Visual Arts Gallery exhibition will go the E Concourse at Hartsfield-Jackson’s Atlanta International Airport, for which Moore will build an elaborate display case. One of his bomb sculptures has been selected for an upcoming group show at Atlanta’s ultra-hip Eyedrum Gallery. He will teach three Drawing & Painting classes during the Spring 2007 semester at Emory. And he will continue to relish his roles as ‘Sally Radell’s husband’ and ‘Sam and Jack’s father.’

For more information, contact Mary Catherine Johnson, Visual Arts Program Coordinator, at 404-712-4390 or mcjohn7@emory.edu.

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