The Michigan-based artist embraces intuition, experimentation, and the beauty of uncertainty to create abstract works that reveal themselves one layer at a time.
Some artworks ask for attention from across the room.
Others reveal their secrets slowly.
At Art on Paper, Booth G14 offered both experiences.
Representing Modern Earth Gallery, artist Jody Kerr presented a collection of abstract mixed-media works that immediately attracted viewers with their luminous surfaces and layered compositions. From a distance, the paintings command attention through movement, color, and atmosphere. Up close, subtle metallic elements emerge, creating moments of surprise that transform the viewing experience.
For Kerr, that sense of discovery is central to her practice.
Based just north of Detroit, Michigan, the artist approaches each work as an experiment rather than a predetermined outcome. Instead of beginning with sketches, studies, or detailed plans, she allows the materials themselves to guide the process.
Her paintings combine acrylic paint, soft pastels, and crushed metallic elements that create a delicate shimmer across the surface. The effect is understated yet captivating, rewarding viewers who spend time looking closely.
What makes the work particularly compelling is the way it balances spontaneity with structure.
Kerr builds her compositions through multiple layers, allowing each stage to fully dry before adding new elements. Colors are mixed directly on the paper in real time. Shapes emerge organically. Surfaces evolve through continuous adjustments, creating compositions filled with depth and visual complexity.
Listening to her describe the process, it becomes clear that exploration plays a larger role than control.
Rather than arriving at the studio with a fixed image in mind, she begins with curiosity.
A morning coffee, a fresh start to the day, and a willingness to play with materials become the foundation for each new work. The studio becomes a place of discovery where paint, texture, and movement reveal possibilities that cannot be planned in advance.
That openness to uncertainty has also transformed her relationship with creative challenges.
Many artists know the frustration of reaching a point where a piece seems unsuccessful. A composition feels unresolved. The colors fail to connect. The work appears headed in the wrong direction.
Kerr once experienced those moments the same way.
Over time, however, she developed a different perspective.
What initially appears to be failure often becomes the foundation for something stronger.
The muddy passages, awkward transitions, and unresolved areas eventually serve as the base layers that give later additions their power. By stepping away, allowing the work to rest, and returning with fresh eyes, she often discovers that the very elements she wanted to abandon become essential to the finished piece.
It is a philosophy that extends beyond painting.
As Kerr explained, life itself unfolds through layers. Not every period is clear or successful. Some moments feel uncertain, complicated, or unfinished. Yet those experiences often create the foundation for future growth.
Her paintings become visual reflections of that process.
Although her work is entirely abstract, viewers frequently discover personal narratives within the compositions. Shapes, colors, textures, and gestures trigger memories, emotions, and interpretations unique to each observer.
Interestingly, Kerr often experiences those discoveries herself.
Because her process is so intuitive, she rarely begins with a specific emotional intention. Only after a piece is completed does she sometimes recognize how it reflects a particular transition, mood, or chapter in her own life.
That sense of shared interpretation is one of the reasons she is drawn to abstraction.
Unlike representational art, abstract work invites participation. Every viewer brings their own experiences, perspectives, and emotions to the artwork. No two interpretations are exactly the same.
For Kerr, that exchange is one of the most rewarding aspects of exhibiting her work.
At fairs and exhibitions, she enjoys hearing how visitors respond to the paintings. Whether someone notices the metallic shimmer, connects with a particular color palette, or finds an emotional resonance within the composition, each interaction offers insight into the many ways art can communicate.
In a crowded art fair filled with hundreds of works competing for attention, those moments of connection matter.
Not because they lead to sales, but because they confirm that the artwork has created a meaningful experience.
Walking through Booth G14, it was easy to understand why visitors paused to spend time with Kerr’s work.
The paintings reward patience.
The closer you look, the more they reveal.
The shimmer hidden within the surface, the layers beneath the layers, and the traces of experimentation all become visible over time.
Like life itself, the work reminds us that some of the most meaningful discoveries are found not in certainty, but in the willingness to embrace the unknown.
About Tarik Talk Podcast
Tarik Talk Podcast is hosted by artist and curator Tarik Mendes and features conversations with artists, curators, museum professionals, cultural leaders, and creative entrepreneurs from around the world.
With more than 200 episodes across 50 seasons and interviews recorded in over 10 countries, the podcast explores the stories, ideas, and experiences that shape contemporary art and culture today.
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