Alan Collins (sculptor)

Alan Collins (15 August 1928 – 18 October 2016) was an English-born sculptor noted for his work at Guildford Cathedral. After continuing his career in England, Collins moved to the United States and continued working there as an artist and, for more than 20 years, as a professor of art at Seventh-day Adventist universities.

Collins work primarily focused on evocative Biblical stories told in outdoor sculptures, which has been described as "24-hour, 365-days-a-year silent sermons."

Early life

Collins was born in the village of Beddington, in northeast Surrey, England. At the age of 16, after attending public schools, Collins entered Wimbledon School of Art. While there he earned first prize in an England-wide competition. Having won a scholarship for the Royal College of Art, he studied sculpture.

Collins developed a lifelong connection to the Adventist Church after having attended a meeting by Australian evangelist Thomas J. Bradley in Corydon, England.
At a Seventh-day Adventist Church in Holloway, London, Collins met his wife Jeanne Fuegi, and they were married in 1954.

Career

When Collins first began carving in stone he used limestone from Malta, which was in great supply during and after World War II as it had been used by supply ships as ballast when returning to England without cargo.

His sculptures were exhibited at the Royal Society for the Arts and the Royal Academy,Appendix section about Alan Collins.
City of London, Planning. p. 1. Retrieved 17 August 2012. one of which was ''Head of a King'', in Maltese stone, exhibited in 1946 at Exhibition 20 by the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society when he was a student at Wimbledon College of Art.''Head of a King''.
Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851–1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2012.

In 1964 Collins was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and received the Society's Sir Otto Beit Medal for his stone carving of St. Martha of Bethany at Guildford Cathedral.

In 1968 he moved to the United States and began career of over 20 years, teaching at Seventh-day Adventists universities, including Atlantic Union College (1968–1971) in Massachusetts, Andrews University (1971–1978) in Michigan and La Sierra University (1978–1989) in California. As a result of his years of work teaching at Adventist universities, he developed a "signature style" that is attributed to Adventist college works.

After retiring from teaching, Collins worked in Phoenix, Oregon on his own works made in many mediums: bronze, wood, clay, wood, concrete and stone. He created many works for the Adventist Church, and also conducted lectures and showed his work at Adventist colleges.

He moved back to England in 2013, and lived in Bridport, Dorset until his death.

Works

Aside from Collins' work at Guildford Cathedral, he executed other works in England before moving to the United States. Most notably, he designed and carved the John F. Kennedy Memorial at Runnymede. In the United States he created sculptures largely for religious organisations, commissions from hospitals and private individuals. He never used models for his sculptures, they were all created using his own imagination. He was noted for being very knowledgeable of human anatomy and he always taught human anatomy to his sculpture students. This information came from his second wife Aliki Collins.

Guildford Cathedral

Collins' most extensive work was created for the exterior of Guildford Cathedral, including:
* ''The Hand of God'', visible at the approach to the cathedral. Surrounded by the moon, stars and the sun, the offered hand represents an "invitation from God to be a part of the Christian Community".
* a statue of Archangel Gabriel, at the eastern end of the Lady Chapel.Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit, Guildford.
British Listed Buildings. English Heritage Building ID 289097. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
* statues of St Catherine and St Martha on the buttresses of the Lady Chapel.
* atop the cathedral's tower, ''Gilded Angel'', made of copper and gilded with gold leaf; although the 4.5-metre (15 foot) tall sculpture, constructed by Hurst, Franklin & Co of Islington, weighs about one ton, it is mounted on ball bearings allowing it to turn with shifting wind directions. Collins created the scale model of the angel in gold on the top of the tower and the font.
* nine statues of Christian virtues and Gifts of the Spirit: Charity, Courage, Temperance, Prudence, Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude and Knowledge.

Image:Guildford-Hand of God.JPG, ''The Hand of God''
Image:Guildford Charity by Alan Collins.JPG, ''Charity''
Image:Guildford-Prudence by Alan Collins.jpg, ''Prudence''
Image:Guildford-Courage by Alan Collins.JPG, ''Courage''
Image:Guildford Temperance by Alan Collins.JPG, ''Temperance''
Image:Guildford-Wisdom by Alan Collins.JPG, ''Wisdom''
Image:Guildford-Understanding by Alan Collins.JPG, ''Understanding''
Image:Guildford-Counsel by Alan Collins.JPG, ''Counsel''
Image:Guildford-Fortitude by Alan Collins.JPG, ''Fortitude''
Image:Guildford-Knowledge by Alan Collins.JPG, ''Knowledge''
Image:Guildford-St Martha of Bethany.JPG, St Martha
Image:Guildford-St Catherine.JPG, St Catherine

Biblical scenes

* La Sierra University – In 2002 Collins created the outdoor sculpture entitled ''The Glory of God's Grace

which depicts the Parable of the Prodigal Son, story of the prodigal son. Considering it one of his best pieces, Collins said that it was: “The chance to show the nature of God through a piece.”
* Loma Linda University – The 7'3" bronze sculpture ''Good Samaritan'' on the campus mal

was unveiled in 198

The work adapts Good Samaritan, the story from Luke's Gospel in a contemporary interpretation. It symbolises the guiding principle "to make man whole" and is congruent with the university's motto. In addition, a sandblast glass relief based on the original bronze sculpture resides in the foyer of the Center for Dentistry and Orthodontics. It was unveiled during the School of Dentistry's annual Alumni-Student Convention on 10 February 2012.Ponder, James. (27 October 2010). "'Who Touched Me?' sculpture unveiled at Loma Linda University." Loma Linda University: Today. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 15 August 2012.''J. N. Andrews Sculpture Points Students to Mission.''
St. Andrews University: Pioneer Memorial Church. Retrieved 17 August 2012. Collins also completed the life-size sculpture ''Who Touched Me?'' in 2010, depicting the Gospel story of a sick women touching Christ's in faith.
* Oakwood University – In 2005 Collins completed the sculpture ''Sacrificial Service'', which represents Simon of Cyrene carrying the cross for Jesus' crucification, for Oakwood University which is located in Huntsville, Alabama.Oliver, Ansel. (13 April 2004 )
World Church: Sculptor, an Adventist, Celebrates God's Creations
Adventist News Network. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
* Andrews University – Collins created a sculpture to depict the John Nevins Andrews family, the first Adventist missionaries who would establish the first Adventist Church in Switzerland. Symbolizing service, ''Legacy of Leadership'' depicts the Andrews family leaving for Europe in 1874 and is located near the Pioneer Memorial Church. The 1975 sculpture ''Regeneration'' also stands in front of the campus Science complex.
* Walla Walla University – Collins was commissioned by the class of 1950 to create a bronze commemorating their 50th anniversary. His work, ''Jesus Among Us'', is a bronze statue that depicts foot-washing of disciples feet by Jesus. "Jesus Among Us" was created to bring to life the university's "Generosity of Service" mission statement, which says that "Walla Walla University (WWU) is a community of faith dedicated to excellence in thought, generosity in service, beauty in expression and faith in God."
* Canadian University College – The centrepiece of the Administration Building lobby is Collins' newest piece, entitled ''The Sower''. An Alberta representation of Jesus' Parable of the Sower. It was officially unveiled during Alumni Weekend Celebrations on Friday, 7 June 2013.

Contemporary religious art

* ''The First Advent'' depicts ''It Came Upon a Midnight Clear'' at the South Lancaster, Massachusetts Atlantic Union College.
* ''Three Angels of the Apocalypse'' in St Albans, England, the "first public sculpture commissioned by the Adventist Church".
* ''Three Angels of the Apocalypse'', a different version of the same theme as the St. Albans work, is located in Lincoln, Nebraska on the Union College administrative building.
* ''The Flame'', "that Fire which leads", is located within the sermon hall of the Bay Knoll Adventist Church in Rochester, New York. Of this work, Collins wrote:

Other works

The following is a partial list of Collins' other works.

England

* ''Head of a King'' that Collins exhibited in 1946 at Exhibition 20 by the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society when he was a student at Wimbledon College of Art.
* Inscription on Runnymede Memorial for Kennedy Memorial Trust
* ''Minerva'' is an abstract sculpture made of aluminium. It is situated on a concrete plinth between Minerva House and Southwark Cathedral in London.
* ''Chessboard'', picking up the theme of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers "chess knight" logo, was made from Portland Stone by Collins in 1963 for the publishers offices at St Paul's House, Warwick Lane, London, England. Collins was commissioned the work through Victor Heal and Partners.
* At the St. Clement Dane Church, the City of London is a memorial to an 18th-century couple, Francis and Catherine Sirr. Replacing the original destroyed during World War II, it is located in the crypt and made of Portland stone.
* Seven portrait masks on keystones above the nave arcades in St. Mary-Le-Bow church, the City of London.
* Stone figure of the patron saint of sailors above the entrance to St. Nicholas' Church in Saltdean, Sussex.
* Replacement of the Royal Coat-of-Arms of King Charles above the portico of All Saints' Church in Northampton.
* Sculptures at Bradford Cathedral, Yorkshire.''Bradford Cathedral.''
Visit Bradford. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
* A work above the Grays Inn Law School doorway in London that depicts a lion, griffon and eagle in limestone.

United States

* At a library Jacksonville County, Oregon, Collins inscribed the building with Roman-style lettering.

Awards and exhibitions

* For his Guildford Cathedral stone sculpture work, Collins was awarded first prize for a Commonwealth wide sculpture contest and received the Royal British Society of Sculptors Sir Otto Beit Medal.
* Collins was awarded in 1988 the first honorary degree bestowed by the Adventist Church for recognition of his work.
* In the early 2000s he was awarded a second honorary doctorate degree by Loma Linda University, California.
* In 2004 Collins exhibited in Florence, Italy at International Biennale of Contemporary Art.

Personal life

After beginning his career in England, Collins moved to the United States in 1968 with his wife Jeanne and their daughter and son. They first lived in South Lancaster, Massachusetts. They moved to Michigan in 1971, where Collins taught at Andrews University (a Seventh-day Adventist university in Berrien Springs.) In 1978 Collins and his family moved to California where Collins taught for 11 years at La Sierra University (another Seventh-day Adventist university that was located in Riverside.)

Collins' wife Jeanne Fuegi suffered a long battle with cancer and died in 1992. In 1993, Collins married his second wife Aliki After his retirement from sculpting, he moved to Bridport, Dorset, England.

References

External links

Alan Collins' website

Alan Collins: Dialogue With an Adventist Sculptor
College and University Dialogue Retrieved September 28, 2018
* Images of works:
*

*

*
"Jesus Among Us", Walla Walla University
*
Alan Collins images on Flickr
* Video:
** (inscription by Collins)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Alan
1928 births
2016 deaths
Alumni of the Royal College of Art
Alumni of Wimbledon College of Arts
Andrews University faculty
English sculptors
English male sculptors
British architectural sculptors
Modern sculptors
Seventh-day Adventist religious workers
People from Bridport
English Seventh-day Adventists
American Seventh-day Adventists