Parables in Stone – an Interview with Alan Collins

MAI Ain "In The Good Samaritan I wanted to target people's consciences, mine included. Both the priest and the Levite have passed by a wounded fellow man. We all claim to be very busy or to have something better to do than stopping to help one in need. The pride and self-sufficiency of the priest should speak to all professing Christians who feel comfortable and secure to the point of being indifferent. I made the Levite an academic figure, with the hood of his regalia weighing heavily on his shoulders. True education should make us responsible, but in his case it had not fitted him for service. And it is the Samaritan, a member of an underprivileged and despised class—whom I fashioned with interracial features—who in the end stops, kneels, and provides generous help." "The sculpture I did for Union College, Lincoln, Nebraska (above), depicts the three angels of Revelation 14, who have messages to proclaim to people living at the end of the world's history." "Regeneration has to do with the life force. In designing it I tried to counteract the rigidity of the science building with something curving and organic in feeling. The center form is like two cells joined and split in the growth process. The twist suggests the DNA formation. The two circles intersecting make the mandorla shape, which I use as a symbol of Christ. He is poised above the four primitive elements—air, earth, ftre, and water. 2 THESE TIMES / MARCH 1983 Cover Photograph by Dave Sherwin Parables in Stone An Interview With Alan Collins BY HUMBERTO RASI one day during the war years an surfaces, and emotional restraint aunt took me to the Guildford shown in his work. Alan Collins is a respected Christian Cathedral in southern England. sculptor and teacher whose pieces grace The interior of that large structure For centuries Christianity and several churches, public buildings, and had not yet been completed; there sculpture were closely campuses in Great Britain and the were pigeons flying in and out of associated in the Western world, United States. Born in England in the tracery of the windows. But I but they seem to have drifted 1928, Collins graduated in 1951 from saw some sculpture by Eric Gill, quite apart. How do you relate to the Royal College of Art in London. and I remember looking at those that trend? After teaching for nine years he nicely rounded figures and Western societies have obviously devoted his full attention to sculpture. enjoying those fine shapes carved become more secularized in recent In 1965 he won the prestigious Sir in stone. times, and most artists reflect that Otto Beit Medal—awarded annually to Later I took some drawing trend. Their works no longer deal the best work in sculpture in the classes, and when, at 16, I entered directly or indirectly with religious British Commonwealth—and in 1968 art school in London, I met an subjects. Much contemporary he moved with his family to the excellent teacher who transferred sculpture is more concerned with United States, where he resumed his to me her enthusiasm for the passage of time, the eroding teaching career. Mr. Collins currently sculpture. effect of elements upon materials, teaches art at Loma Linda University the precarious balance of things, in Loma Linda, California, where he Among the different periods and the ephemeral nature of our lives. lives with his wife and the younger of schools of sculpture, which do My religious convictions have their two children. you prefer? given a different character to my I like archaic Greek sculpture for work. its restraint and austerity. Among sculptors of religious subjects, I How have your Christian beliefs How did you become interested have been much interested in influenced your art? in sculpture? those of the medieval period, both My parents became evangelicals As a child I was quite attracted in England and France. Those when I was a child, and I at 10 to drawing and painting, although were the anonymous artists who also decided to give my life to not necessarily to sculpture. Then left their imprint, for example, on Christ. There is nothing like that the magnificent Cathedral of conversion experience! From then Chartres. Aristide Maillol (France, on my life took a new direction. Humberto Rasi is editorial director of Inter- national Publications, Pacific Press Publishing 1861-1944) is the contemporary Christian principles, as expressed Association, Mountain View, California. sculptor that I most admire, for in the Bible, have served as © 1983 by Humberto Rasi. the clear composition, rounded guidelines and have provided THESE TIMES / MARCH 1983 3 meaning. Art then becomes a holy think, however, that the seems appealing and worth calling, and although not all my temptation to worship three- developing. Both The First Advent pieces are obviously religious, they dimensional images is still very and Regeneration came that way. are at least life-enhancing and much with us, although in a I have also developed a great constructive. different way. We tend to affection for the parables of Christ. "worship" some of our material They are profound world pictures Some of your better-known possessions and some of our that have remained fresh and pieces, however, do have heroes, such as popular singers, accessible to people through the religious meaning. famous actors and actresses, centuries. As we let our minds Yes, they do. My largest piece, outstanding scientists, and so on. dwell on them, other aspects of Regeneration, is a symbolic We still face the danger of meaning come to light. In my case sculpture located at Andrews worshiping the creature or the I naturally tend to think in terms University in Berrien Springs, object instead of the Creator. of sculptural parables. Michigan. It suggests God's power as revealed in the elements and What is your purpose, then, in Are you working on any processes of nature. Previously I creating sculptures with sculptural parable now? had completed a metal sculpture, religious themes? Yes, I am working on a design The First Advent, which can be Basically, I suppose, it is to for the parable of the wheat and seen at Atlantic Union College in communicate an aspect of truth the tares of Matthew 13 as a South Lancaster, Massachusetts, that would need many words to possible sculpture. Both plants symbolizing the coming of Christ apparently were very much alike into this world, a coming fraught and grew together. The wheat ear with risks and possibilities. I have is heavy with good grain, so it also executed several pieces tends to bend over and to bow its representing the three angels of head, while the tares, being a Revelation 14, which are a favorite lighter grain, stand straight up. subject of the Seventh-day I have tried to combine the two Adventist Church, of which I am a growth patterns, with the tares member. upright in the center and the wheat bowing to the sides, How do you relate your activities providing a cruciform design. as a Christian sculptor to God's Christ died for both kinds of injunction in the second Christians—the empty and proud commandment of the as well as the fruitful and humble. Decalogue: "You shall not make The Christian will then be able to for yourself a graven image . ; relate to this design and ask you shall not bow to them or himself, "Am I fruitful or not?" serve them" (Exodus 20:4, 5, R.S.V.)?* Alan Collins at work in his studio in What advice would you give a I believe in the validity of the Loma Linda, California. young Christian who feels Ten Commandments as divine inclined toward sculpture? guidelines for living. But you sum up. Sculptors deal with If he feels that he has been notice that the injunction against shapes, and as I present them to given this talent by God, I would making images is tied in with the people to see, I hope that their encourage him to pursue a career worshiping them. In fact, God effect will be thought-provoking or in sculpture and to develop his commissioned sculptures from uplifting. Sometimes I use abstract ability to the maximum possible. Israelite artists and endowed them forms and at other times a more To help him toward that end he with special skills to fashion them, direct approach, as in The Good should find a teacher who will as recorded in Exodus 25 and 37. Samaritan, which is on the campus show him how to draw and how But He condemned as sin the of Loma Linda University. In any to use the tools. He may have to idolatrous worship of the golden case, I want my sculptures to have find some supplemental work calf (Exodus 32). God knows that a meaning beyond themselves. because art may not provide sculpture has a certain power, a sufficient income to live. certain relevance to our lives: it How do you get ideas for your God has designed us as creative has a physical substance with sculptures? individuals, and we should use which we can identify, because we In most cases it is difficult to each opportunity to explore a new are also substantial. pinpoint the origin of an idea. Our thought, see some new aspect of I have avoided making figures minds are great reservoirs of life, draw a new design. Someday, and representations that could be impressions, images, and in the new earth, we will have construed as objects of worship. I thoughts. As I sketch on my pad God Himself as our art and design " From The Revised Standard Version of the Bible, or especially as I manipulate Teacher.

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