2017 Grammy Nominated Band Chooses Ralph Kerle's Art

KROM Mama Blue Single Cover using Clearing the Inner Blueness

Delighted to have Clearing the Inner Blueness chosen as the cover image of 2017 Grammy nominated Cambodian band KROM's new single, Mama Blue.

When Christopher Minko, band leader of KROM, contacted me with a simple email"I find your images simply superb and unique. They are most uplifting and show the glory of life within the abstract forms that only nature can provide - great work and much needed in turbulent times. I would love to use them within a Krom context, specifically as cover art for our new single..." I couldn't refuse.

I wish KROM all the best in this year's Grammys and honoured to have one of my images supporting their musical journey.

The Story Behind the Picture.

Clearing the Inner Blueness represents one of those moments in serendipity when all the elements associated with my work - kayaking, water, light, movement, stillness, colour - gives up a slice of sheer visual perfection. I could never have composed this image no matter how hard I might have tried.

The location for the shot was Long Bay, Middle Harbour, Sydney, Australia at 7.27am on September 3 2015.

The top half of the picture consists of a close up of a navy blue hull of a 40 foot ketch. The white line across the upper half is the vessel's plimsoll line; the black line is where the vessel enters the water and the bottom half shows the water lapping against the hull.

Light bounces off the water onto the hull from the left hand side out of frame, creating reflections on the surface of the hull that in turn creates reflections of the reflection on the water - a choreographed dance in nature between solids, liquids and light. I was fortunate enough to capture this performance at that special moment in time when the dance was in full flight.

I am never sure what the camera has captured until I return to the PC and download the shots of the day. I am reminded in this context of the days when you took your film in for development never knowing exactly what you were going to get in return. I hear myself gasping audibly in sheer delight when an image reveals itself as a potential artwork and I soon as I saw this image I knew I had one!! Fishing for reflections is what I call this aspect of my art practice.

I christened it Clearing the Inner Blueness because on first viewing it served up a rich insight of calmness, flow, joy and happiness associated with a positive state of mind. Constant viewing over time has revealed a deep intricate ever changing visual feast that has made this piece a prime source of meditation for me.

Clearing the Inner Blueness 2
I was fortunate to capture simultaneously a similar shot - another version on the same theme - a little busier, stronger perhaps in its revelations!!

Both pieces are clearly statement pieces according to my interior decorator colleagues. Was it my intention to create statement pieces? You be the judge!!

Clearing the Inner Blueness is in the Art Collection and there are 4 limited editions remaining of the 5. Clearing the Inner Blueness 2 is part of the Lifestyle Collection which offers various sizes, prices and framing options.