Kerry Anne Boer - Australian Artist
“Sometimes the best man for the job is a WOMAN & there is no such word as CAN'T”
– Beryl Amy Patterson, (my mother) a strong woman ahead of her time who lived and loved a lifetime’s worth in just 39 short years before she was taken suddenly by cancer in 1970, taught me these things and they stuck good!
As the eldest of four girls growing up in a family where there were no such things as boys or girls jobs, I often had to assume responsibility for things beyond my years and have always been enthusiastically encouraged by my family to follow my dreams.
It is impossible for me to remember a time in my life when I did not have a desperate need to express myself artistically and over the years I have dabbled in pottery, macrame, cross stitch, folk art, cake decorating, photography, tapestry, story writing, poetry, ballroom, latin american & salsa dancing, gardening, sewing, crocheting, knitting, typing, painting on canvas and now natural stone sculpting… basically anything that feeds my artistic bent will do! I have a massive collection of all sorts of colourful yarns that take up half my bedroom in winter, boxes and boxes of fabrics that have taken my fancy over the years and a collection of paints, sequins, feathers, lace and assorted beads, all of which clutter up my all too small linen closet.
I enjoy a play on words, have a desperate need to express myself creatively and am the proud owner of a seriously twisted sense of humour. My poetry is usually an expression of very strong emotions from my heart that won’t let me be unless I put them down on paper. I am passionate about my work, have tunnel vision & am obsessive compulsive….. So be it!
On my daily walks along Dee Why beach during the bulk of my cancer treatment in 2013/2014 I discovered my “eye”. The ability to focus and find something beautiful in everyday life by blocking out the messy peripheral/ugly and sometimes painful stuff in life was achieved through many hours of meditation provided to me in the waiting rooms of the chemotherapy and radiotherapy hospital wards during my cancer treatment.
I am a breast cancer survivor and strongly believe that cancer (the little "c") causes Creativity (the big "C"). After receiving confirmation of my stage three breast cancer diagnosis on Valentine’s Day 2013, I made a conscious decision to become part of the cure rather than just another victim of this dreadful disease.
To this end, a portion of the funds received from the sale of my Australian sculptures has been donated to the McGrath Foundation for Breast Care Nurses.
Needless to say future Valentine’s Days will hold new meaning for me…. I will celebrate every year that I remain a survivor with an extra rose on my page and will be very excited when I reach my goal of 30 roses.... Bring it on!!!
Most of my sculptures are created from beautiful natural stone sourced from all over the world and I am always nagging my husband to fit a block of something new into one of the containers being shipped into our Sydney Northern Beaches stone factory for my sculpture works.
These days I am branching out into new mediums and experimental processes including 3D printing, lead crystal glass casting, bronze, Stainless Steel & Resin. I am enjoying the new experimental processes and the different creative avenues they take me down.
My Works
My current “Cosmic Connections” series delves into new beginning narratives, covering topics such as new places, new friends & new connections of all types, Its sub-series “Life Interuptus” is a raw emotional study (through dream-like fantasy) of a new type of normal experienced during cancer treatment. Light passing through the lead crystal becomes a metaphor for the healing processes that one can experience in both body and soul when becoming one with your treatment. This series is also available in cast resin.
Moon Howler - Once in a Blue Bogon Moon - Alice Under The Cheshire Moon - Ice Moon Melody - Leo Under the Rising Moon
The "Point of View” series contains pieces that are deliberately designed to be viewed from multiple angles to engage, taunt and challenge the viewer.
Valentine (SOLD) - Megan (Held in private collection) - Tongue In Cheek (Held in private collection)
Mother & Child (Held in private collection) - Infant Embrace (Held in private collection) - With Child (Held in private collection) - Shall We Dance -
Jennifer (SOLD)
In the “Poetry in Life” series my pieces are created using one of my poems as inspiration.
EARTH - Fractured, Exposed & Extinct (On permanent exhibit @ Creative Space in Curl Curl) - Lamentations (Held in private collection)
The “Essence of a Female” series contains pieces that are inspired by the pure essence of females that have had an influence in my life.
June - Amelia - Naomi - Stephanie
All the pieces in my “Warrior” Series are representative of primitive and tribal man and woman.
Warrior King - Warrior Princess
With my “Eliza” series I drew inspiration from the voluptuously curved sandstone cladding on the Eliza Apartments (next to the Sheraton on the Park in Sydney) designed by Architect Tony Owen.
Eliza's Pregnant Pause (Held in private collection) - Eliza Bathing
Eliza Plaiting - Eliza Reading
The “Human Movement” series was inspired by rhythmic gymnasts in motion.
Balancing Form 01 - Balancing Form 02
Balancing Form 03 - Balancing Form 04
Balancing Form 05 (Held in private collection)