Marilyn Collins
Marilyn Collins is a London based sculptor, known internationally, who has exhibited in many parts of the world.
She has several installations on display in public gardens in the UK, a notable example being the Spriggan set in the Parkland Walk, which is reputed to have inspired Stephen King to write the short story Crouch End.
Horror writer Stephen King once stayed at a friend's (Peter Straub) house in Crouch End. The legend goes that after asking for a good place to go for a walk he was directed towards the old railway line, now called The Parkland Walk. While here he was inspired by the strange unsettling surroundings and the sculpture of a spriggan (a pan-like green man), which was pushing its way out of an old arched wall. King wrote the short story Crouch End, based on his visit to Crouch End, which was later adapted as an episode of Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King, which included the spriggan in the introduction.
Commissions and publicly sited work
March 2001 ‘The Drop’ Water feature for a wildlife garden Priory Park, London
June 1997 ‘Ant’s Nest’ Commissioned by Stoke Newington Midsummer Festival Abney Park Cemetery
June1995 - Artist in residence for the Community Centre Garden Chettle Court Estate (Haringey) Jan 1996 Water feature, gate features and paving
May 1995 - Mural at Haringey Asian Action Group Haringey Arts Council Mural Project
Oct 1993 ‘Spriggan’ Parkland Walk, London
Group Exhibitions
April 2006 'Eating out in the Great Outdoors' MODA, Enfield
October 2005 'Zoo-a-logical', Knapp Gallery
May 2005 ‘Grounds for Designs’ MODA, Enfield
May 2005 ‘Sculptural Possibilities’ Cupola gallery, Sheffield
July 2004 ‘Summer Art in Eden’ Eden restaurant, Harrow on the Hill
July 2004 ‘What’s That in the Woods’ Millfield Arts Centre, Edmonton
April 2004 ‘Outdoor Habitats’ Museum of Domestic Architecture, Enfield
Sept 2003 ‘Ancient Greeks and modern Europeans’ Cosmos, Paleochora, Crete
July 2003 2 Sphinxes ‘Drawn from Nature’ Exbury Gardens (Beatrice Royal gallery)
June 2003 ‘Vortex Flotilla’ The Sculpture Trail at Hebden Bridge
Oct 2001 ‘Inhabiting the Border’ Bruce Castle Museum Gallery -An exhibition I curated of artists from Vienna
July 2001 ‘Memorial – poor cow’ Cuckoo Farm, Colchester
Feb 1999 Free Formations. An exhibition of design work for communities Sutton House
Sept 1998 Wien Fluss -Sound Sculpture – This work was part of an exhibition -Horen ist Sehen / Oir es Ver -shown internationally from Sept 1998 and continuing.
June 1998 ‘Tourist Trap/Selbst Portrat ‘ Passage Galerie Kunstlerhaus VIENNA Installation at 4 U-Bahn stations in Vienna
June 1997 ‘Ant’s Nest’ (Related to the Abney Park Cemetery piece) Hardcastle Craggs Sculpture Trail
July 1994 ‘Grass Knot’ ‘Eurosculpture’ Symposium – 200 sculptors working in public Carhaix Brittany
1994 ‘Sphinx’ and ‘Leaf Stele’ ‘The Mythic Garden’ Chagford
Solo Exhibitions
2004 ‘Ancient Greeks and Modern Europeans’ Eden restaurant Harrow on the Hill
2003 ‘Transit’ 27, Burgasse Vienna
1997 travel documents Florians, Crouch End
1997 and Jackson’s Lane
Marilyn Collins: I started exhibiting in 1985 when I was invited to have a solo show at the Swarthmore Centre in Leeds. From 1993 – 4 I worked with Gary Cromack on installations in France, Germany and London Education Bradford college BA 1981-1984 John Cass School of Art Foundation 1980-1981 Guest student at the Universitat fur Angewandte Kunst, Vienna 1997-1998 Creative Mentoring at Collage Arts 2003 Freeform Arts Trust NVQ3 Sept – Dec 1998 Tamil Nadu Studying traditional methods of lost wax casting Feb – INDIA with sculptor R. Ravindren Mar 1996 Haringey Arts Council Mural Project 1994–1995 SHAPE training for artists working in community settings 1987
Recent workshops in schools and in the community Sunnyside Gardens 8.08.2000, 8.12.2000 Cuckoo Farm Studios 29.06 2001 Sculpture trail 30.06.2001 Islington Ecology Centre 31.7.2000, 3.08.2000, 20.06 2001, 14.08.2001, 21.08.2001, 28.08.2001 The Millennium Centre, Dagenham 2.04 2002 The Surrey Institute of Art and Design 19.06.2002 Mossford Park School 18 03 2002,19.03.2002 Channing Junior School, Highgate 6.05.2003 Lammas School, Leyton 14, 15 and 16.07.2003 Hornsey High School for girls Nov – Dec 2003 Ashmount School N19 June 2004 Gable Hall School, Stanford-le-hope 15.7.2004 Kids Allowed, Ealing Family Housing 30.03.2005 Thames Sculpture Group ‘Nest Project’ June – July 2005 Five weekly workshops ending in an exhibition at the Acton Festival, and at the Royal college of Art Elthorne regeneration festival 4.7.2005 New River Festival 11.7.2005
Beavers Community Primary School. 5-week project making sculptures for the conservation area, October - November 2005
'Wild at Art'. a six-week project with Hounslow Chinese School making sculpture and a water feature on the topic of biodiversity March - May 2006. Exhibition at Redlees Arts Centre and other sites around Hounslow.
'Art Matters' Workshops based on the work of Rodin organised by National Children's Homes with the Royal Academy. June 2006. Work to be exhibited at the Royal Academy autumn 2006