Biography
Jerry Atkins’ extensive work as a sculptor is deeply rooted in his ideas about the human psyche and his own sense of self.
As a young man, initial interests in science, particularly psychology, led Atkins towards a career in psychiatry. He completed his undergraduate studies in Chemistry at Rutgers University in 1961 and later received a medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine and a certification in psychoanalysis.
All the while, Atkins’ creative interests were a constant source of fulfillment. When uninspired by his course work as a medical student, he often skipped classes to attend pottery workshops, honing in on his natural talent for sculpture.
His formal artistic studies began at the McNay Art Institute in San Antonio, Texas, where he continued to learn ceramic technique. Recognition of his work came immediately in 1970 at the Witte Memorial Museum in San Antonio. His sculpture Dead Animal Box was included in an exhibition and awarded a sculpture prize by a jury led by David Winfield Scott, founding Director of the National Gallery of Art.
Motivated by his achievements, Atkins soon returned to New York City and established a studio practice in Woodstock, NY, in tandem with a practice as a psychoanalyst. In his initial work as a ceramic sculptor, Atkins created mythical animal forms which he fired in the large catenary arch kiln he built at his studio. As his interests grew and his artistic techniques developed, he began to concentrate on stylized human forms representing authoritative, interpretive renditions of all aspects of the human condition. Since the 1980s, he has cast his work in bronze and resin editions of five.
Critics have praised Atkins' ability to capture and portray a wide range of emotion and human feeling in startling new and creative forms. He has been represented by three galleries in New York City: The Roko Gallery for two years, Art Latitude Gallery for one year, and The Kraushaar Galleries for twenty years. At the Kraushaar Galleries, his work was exhibited in three solo exhibitions and numerous group shows. During this period, he was also represented by the Kornblatt Gallery in Washington D.C.
Following Antoinette Kraushaar’s retirement, Atkins left the gallery to pursue new visions in the development of his work. In the early 1990's he designed a house and studio in a secluded rural setting in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, where he currently produces new work.
As a young man, initial interests in science, particularly psychology, led Atkins towards a career in psychiatry. He completed his undergraduate studies in Chemistry at Rutgers University in 1961 and later received a medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine and a certification in psychoanalysis.
All the while, Atkins’ creative interests were a constant source of fulfillment. When uninspired by his course work as a medical student, he often skipped classes to attend pottery workshops, honing in on his natural talent for sculpture.
His formal artistic studies began at the McNay Art Institute in San Antonio, Texas, where he continued to learn ceramic technique. Recognition of his work came immediately in 1970 at the Witte Memorial Museum in San Antonio. His sculpture Dead Animal Box was included in an exhibition and awarded a sculpture prize by a jury led by David Winfield Scott, founding Director of the National Gallery of Art.
Motivated by his achievements, Atkins soon returned to New York City and established a studio practice in Woodstock, NY, in tandem with a practice as a psychoanalyst. In his initial work as a ceramic sculptor, Atkins created mythical animal forms which he fired in the large catenary arch kiln he built at his studio. As his interests grew and his artistic techniques developed, he began to concentrate on stylized human forms representing authoritative, interpretive renditions of all aspects of the human condition. Since the 1980s, he has cast his work in bronze and resin editions of five.
Critics have praised Atkins' ability to capture and portray a wide range of emotion and human feeling in startling new and creative forms. He has been represented by three galleries in New York City: The Roko Gallery for two years, Art Latitude Gallery for one year, and The Kraushaar Galleries for twenty years. At the Kraushaar Galleries, his work was exhibited in three solo exhibitions and numerous group shows. During this period, he was also represented by the Kornblatt Gallery in Washington D.C.
Following Antoinette Kraushaar’s retirement, Atkins left the gallery to pursue new visions in the development of his work. In the early 1990's he designed a house and studio in a secluded rural setting in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, where he currently produces new work.