ARTIST STATEMENT

Somewhere in the middle of living, I decided to spend the rest of my life as an artist / painter. As a self-taught painter, my goal is to directly stimulate and aggressively promote a visual dialogue parallel to that of our social, political, economic and spiritual realities. Hopefully, this action will lead to a more open and progressive exchange of ideals towards a more "complete" society. This is my dream; I’m Jackson-Collins.

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ARTIST BIO

BORN: November 20, 1958, Canton, Mississippi

RESIDENCE: Venice, California

Self-taught and self-made, Mississippi-born Jackson Collins extracts truth from life and renders it visual. At the age of sixteen, he began his career painting on the shores of Venice Beach without a penny to his name. Now, as an internationally acclaimed artist, having exhibited throughout Europe and the United States, Jackson Collins can still be found painting on the sands of Venice Beach. Despite recognition and acknowledgement, Jackson-Collins remains true to his methods and purpose: to elicit an emotional response from his viewers.

Jackson Collins paints from his soul, and his work reflects this passionate realm of beauty and pain. Employing a system of personal symbolism, a feverish brush stroke, and broad planes of deep, intense color, Collins conveys the most basic of human emotions: love, fear, need, devastation, hope, joy. His images are at once brooding and triumphant, ethereal and grounded, echoing the complex and simple contradictions inherent to being human. Inspired by the trials and triumphs of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and Mohammed Ali, Collins’ oeuvre documents history through a unique cultural perspective, speaking loudest from that point where the personal, social, and political intersect.

Jackson Collins has exhibited in such diverse locations as the Alan Goodman Gallery, London, England, Galerie Charles Boutron, St.-Piat, France, Urban Exposure, Los Angeles, California, and Michelle Konigs Galerie, Berlin, Germany. His works are also part of the private collections of Brian Glazer, Jane Smiley, Craig Ponzio, Mr. And Mrs. Peter Young, and Dr. and Mrs. Dougherty.

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PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT:
Pamela Brown
ArtJaz Gallery
Philadelphia, PA  19106
215-922-4800 E-mail: info@artjaz.com
 
Philadelphia, PA –March 15, 2007- ArtJaz Gallery is pleased to present the return
of visual artist, Jackson-Collins in a solo exhibition entitled “Not Just Jazz” featuring
contemporary paintings and mixed media. “Not Just Jazz” opens Friday,
April 6, 2007.  The Opening Reception will be held on Friday, April 6th, 5- 8pm
and the exhibition continues through May 19, 2007.

Artist, Jackson-Collins has been represented by ArtJaz Gallery since it’s opening in 1999.  We are pleased to announce the much anticipated return of Jackson-Collins in “Not Just Jazz”. Jackson- Collins’ paintings are ensconced with vibrant color, texture and feeling. Working as a fulltime professional artist for over 20 years, Jackson continues to infuse passion in his work. Outside of his jazz image subjects, many of Jackson’s paintings have components of expressionism with their exaggerated lines and distorted figures. Other paintings have a surrealistic quality, as in “The Gate Keepers”.  New to many of Jackson’s paintings is the addition of meaningful text, such as “One Life to Live” an image of Reggae singer, Bob Marley, providing a personal glimpse of Jackson’s psyche and an embedded message that resonates with viewers.

Freedom is Jackson – Collins’s watchword and his paintings articulate this ideal with clear vision.
There are no holds barred when Jackson paints. Strong color, strong messages and powerful imagery dominate his work. The painting, “The Gate Keepers” renders  the complexity of our world between the rich and the poor, figures in the foreground naked, hold empty bowls while looking down at two tables filled with an abundance of food and people, one figure is looking out as if to the viewer pleading for help. In the background an uprooted tree dramatically hangs horizontally in the air, balancing on its mid- point a pigtailed little girl. Trees play an important role in Jackson’s works, symbolically; trees stand for growth or lack thereof. The socially conscious painting, “The Gate Keepers” is in sharp contrast to the painting titled “Remember the Messengers” A rendition of musicians playing hot jazz while appearing cool with their instruments. This painting pays homage to legendary drummer, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers who played together for almost four decades. These are just three of many paintings exhibited in “Not Just Jazz” that captures Jackson- Collins’ true artistic freedom and style that remains uniquely his own.

“Not Just Jazz” exhibition with Jackson-Collins will be on display April 6 - May 19, 2007.
Opening Reception, Friday April 6, 2007, 5pm - 8pm. For more information, call 215-922-4800.

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