SEPTEMBER 12 TO OCTOBER 12, 2014
WHISKEY / DELTA / CHARLIE* features mixed media sculpture, found objects and functional art works created from 2012 to the present. Grounded in the tradition of American craft, Kerns questions the traditions of form and function, creating works that explore the history of and change in the District’s urban landscape. Framed as a fictional flea market, and like the exhibition title implies, WHISKEY / DELTA / CHARLIE the objects shown are place holders evoking time, culture and place. Using wood, found materials, and welded metal, Kerns creates both complex and simple works that pay homage to the District from the street to the living room. He builds large complex work from commonly anonymous objects of years past, creating modern totems meant to evoke feelings of nostalgia throughout this fictional Flea Market, “the story of stuff is the story of us," says Kerns.
James Kerns is a self-taught mixed-media sculptor, wood worker and industrial designer living and working in Washington, DC. His use of former industrial and commercial products from a bygone era are the backbone of his work. Working in the District for over a decade, his work can be seen at renowned D.C. restaurants including Toki Underground, Boundary Road, Teddy and the Bully Bar, Chaplin and RedLight.
* Whiskey Delta (WDC) represents Washington District of Columbia using the phonetic alphabet.
