Burgess Collins

How will art history judge Burgess Collins (1923-2004), the artist better known as Jess? The new exhibition of his work at Tibor de Nagy Gallery won’t tell you, but there’s one thing for sure about Jess’ current standing: He’s nowhere—but, then again, that might stand as the most fitting tribute to an artist defined by his eccentricity.

You can cast about for influences. Jess’ collages—or, as he dubbed them, “paste-ups”—recall the dreamlike incongruities of Surrealism and a little of Dadaism’s choppy aggression. His fondness for mass media and his paintings based on found commercial illustrations (called the Translations) have led critics to compare his work to pop art.  read more »