Gillian Collins

About the Artist

Gillian Collins was born in England.  Her family immigrated to Maryland in the early 1960s where she continues to reside.  She earned a BFA and is currently pursuing a MFA from Towson University.  As a co-owner of residential plumbing and HVAC service companies, her association with these trades artistically inspires Collins.   Her paintings present an abstracted viewpoint of mechanical components found in parking garages, building utility rooms, bridges, or along a town’s sidewalks or back alleys.  Either working plein air, or from photographs, she exposes the abstract essence of these mechanical forms to create paintings that illuminate symbols of our technological advancement.   Collins is affiliated with The Artist Gallery located in historic Frederick, MD and has shown in numerous juried exhibitions within the Washington/Baltimore area, including the Maryland Eastern shore area. As a copyist, Collins has been affiliated with the National Gallery of Art, in Washington, DC since 2014.  

Artist's Statement

The images I capture of the mechanical underpinnings of our civilization, illustrate familiar objects which are often overlooked, though they are prominently visible in our foundational structures. Divorcing their form from their function, these geometric mechanisms are historic symbols of our technological advancement. Using traditional oil paint medium and mixed media, Gillian blends historic classic realism with contemporary abstraction to convey the importance of these vital, but unnoticed man-made components.