While few artists are fortunate enough to have their work widely recognized and appreciated during their lifetimes, Jim Collins, a living legend, deserves all the accolades he and his work continuously receive. A former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga art professor, this multi-award winning artist has repeatedly proven that he is one who can both “do” and “teach.” A master in the public and private art realms, Jim creates something unusual for everyone to enjoy in expected and unexpected places. Just mention the name “Jim Collins,” and images immediately come to mind of immensely clever and large silhouetted animal and human figures, primarily made from galvanized steel, stainless steel, painted steel, brass and copper.
Jim’s larger-than-life silhouettes serve different purposes and can be viewed throughout Chattanooga in such places as the Hunter Museum of American Art, the Bluff View Art District’s Sculpture Garden (both of which have one or more pieces of his work, including figures from his “Watcher Series”), in front of the fire station on Main Street, as mile markers along the Riverwalk, and on the private property of numerous individuals. In addition, he created a stainless steel tow check that doubles as a public bench in front of the International Towing Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum; the extremely entertaining (as evidenced by the number of people seen using them on any given day) bronze dance steps found in the pedestrian walkways on Frazier Avenue; “Volumes,” a 12’ x 22’ x 10’ stainless steel water sculpture at the Bicentennial Library; St. Peter’s Cross, a stainless steel and bronze cross for St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, and “Gazebo and Gates,” stainless steel constructions for The Garden of the IMAX 3-D Theater to name just a few.
Chattanooga is not the only city that recognizes Jim’s talents. He has held shows and displayed work in museums, airports, and college campuses, as well as private collections throughout the United States including Huntsville and Mobile, Alabama; Hot Springs, Arkansas; Stanford, Connecticut; Watkinsville, Georgia; Owensboro, Kentucky; Greensboro, Chapel Hill, and Lenoir, North Carolina; Des Moines, Iowa; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Huntington, West Virginia, and New York City; as well as other towns in Tennessee, including Lookout Mountain, Nashville, Norris Lake and, Smithville to name a few.
Always in demand, Jim is currently planning new projects here in the states, including a private commission in West Virginia; a public art commission for the #1 Fire Station in Plano, Texas; a public commission for the Metro Line Extension at Tyson’s Corner in Washington, D.C.; and one for a local rose garden.
Internationally, Jim Collins has public art pieces in County Limerick in Ireland. Of that work, Collins says, “I was selected in an international competition to create a series of 32 separate larger-than-life-sized colorful silhouettes of animals that are in four groups along a public highway. I am currently being considered for an exciting project in Ibsen, Norway. I have been short listed and am now one of nine out of an original 120 artists worldwide who have applied to create a sculpture that depicts a scene from Peer Gynt, a Norwegian fantasy play. I should know in a few months if I will be selected.”
Jim Collins has a “soft side.” In contrast to his work with hard metals, he is also well known for his evocative, thought-provoking box collages that tell an “open-ended” story meant to be interpreted by the viewer. “Some borrow on mythology, societal ills, and some on flights of fancy,” he explains. These fascinating little worlds are made from a myriad of recycled materials, such as old photographs, cigar box bands, actual money, dolls, wood, sheet music, and other mixed media. “I love the 3-D world rather than the flat space of painting. Actually, I painted in the early years; after a while I found that there really wasn’t anything left to paint. However, somewhat in the two- dimensional world, I do love to make collages with constructed frames,” Collins adds.
Ever the purist, Jim does not use reproductions and insists on using only the highest quality original materials available. “I find some of my treasures on e-bay and at antique stores,” he says. Old photographs are one of Jim’s favorite items to work with. Formerly anonymous characters in old pictures become stars in Jim’s “plays.” No doubt, his expertise as a painting restorer helps Jim create his assemblages. An added treasure involves the way titles to Jim’s pieces are cleverly chosen to support the themes of his work.
With his many accomplishments, it’s no wonder that Jim Collins was awarded the Distinguished Artist Award in 2004 by then Chattanooga mayor, Bob Corker. His illustrious career began more than 40 years ago, and he is still going full force with the many commissions he continues to receive. For more information, read his book entitled Jim Collins Art 1963-2003 or visit his website at: www.collins3d.com.