Shot exclusively with an analog camera, his work is driven by spontaneity and intimacy. He does not shy away from showing the raw and real, which is not only evident in his choice of subject matter, but also in his technical approach and editing. Whether dreamy and soft or dark and full of grain, imperfections like the occasional dust and scratches left on the film emulsion, allow for a poetic reading of his oeuvre and give rise to its strong materiality and tenderness.
Providing the viewer an insight into how his creative work came into existence, Kern intersperses his photographs with taped-in contact sheets, scribbled notes and inked-washed thoughts. Demonstrating his awareness of the importance of process and execution, he in essence reverses the idea of the workbook as the final artwork itself. Highly personal, nothing is hidden from the viewer, yet still, the mystifying presence that surrounds his work remains, keeping us curious and engaged.