Jess (Jess Collins) – American Artist
Jess Collins (August 6, 1923 – January 2, 2004), known simply as Jess, was a distinctive American visual artist celebrated for his unique paintings, collages, and drawings. Born Burgess Franklin Collins in Long Beach, California, he later rejected his family name and became known professionally as Jess.
Jess grew up surrounded by literature and classical music. As a child, he read L. Frank Baum’s Oz books, Edgar Allan Poe, and Marcel Proust, while listening to Beethoven, Mahler, Sibelius, and Brahms. He also created scrapbooks with his great-aunt — an experience he later identified as the origin of his lifelong collage practice.
His artistic work is deeply influenced by themes of alchemy, mythology, the occult, chemistry, and male beauty. Jess developed a highly personal and symbolic visual language that stood apart from mainstream art movements of his time.
Notable Works and Series
One of his most important series is Translations (1959–1976), consisting of heavily textured, impasto paintings created in a meticulous paint-by-number style. These works reinterpret found images into lush, dreamlike compositions. Six paintings from this series were exhibited at the Wadsworth Atheneum in 1975.
Jess also created elaborate murals in the late 1950s for the Berkeley home of renowned film critic Pauline Kael. These fantastical, Romantic-style murals still adorn the walls today.
In addition to painting, Jess was a master of collage. He famously repurposed vintage book illustrations and comic strips — most notably transforming the Dick Tracy strip into his own subversive series called Tricky Cad.
His final major work, the large-scale drawing Narkissos (over 6 x 5 feet), is considered a masterpiece and is part of the permanent collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).
Artistic Legacy
Jess’s art is appreciated for its poetic sensibility, intricate detail, and deep engagement with myth and mysticism. Though he worked largely outside the spotlight of major art trends, his work continues to influence contemporary artists interested in collage, symbolism, and alternative narratives.
Today, Jess is recognized as one of the most original and enigmatic figures in post-war American art.
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