By Krystle J Bailey
Jerry Atkins, an artist and real estate investor from New York, has spent the last 30+ years creating minimalist bronze sculptures in his secluded studio in Egg Harbor Township. Four days each week, Jerry and his wife Linda travel to EHT, where they own 140 acres of land that they’ve dedicated to conservation purposes.
Originally drawn to Atlantic County for the casinos, Jerry Atkins is a former psychiatrist and lifelong artist. Since his first sculpting exhibition in 1970, Jerry has expanded his portfolio to include deeply insightful pieces about the grim nature of the human experience. His perception of the mind, in combination with his thoughts about original sin and human nature, inspires pieces that portray mankind’s never-ending struggle to make sense of the world.
There are a few sculptures that embody a sense of hope and love, including Atkins’ piece of a mother nursing her infant child. Though, most of his other pieces represent a sense of sadness or desperation.
“We really don’t know why someone creates art,” shares Atkins when asked about the root of his ideas. “We just know it’s a calling or an impulse that comes from inside of you that pushes you towards making something.”
Atkins was born a descendant of Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants who fled Russia for the United States in 1905. He was raised by his Hungarian immigrant maternal grandparents, neither of whom could hear or speak, and worked in the sweatshops of New York’s Lower East Side.
Throughout his life, Jerry discovered a curiosity about the human psyche, which led him to ultimately receive his psychiatry degree from the New York University School of Medicine. While in medical school, he began attending pottery classes at a local community center in New York. His art is a representation of these two interests, as each piece reflects a darker part of the human mind.
Jerry’s studio, which overlooks the Egg Harbor River and is surrounded by trees and “whispering woods,” serves as a reclusive opportunity for creation. Jerry and his wife Linda, who spends her time as a bird watcher, escape the noise of New York City every weekend to relish in the sanctuary they’ve created in Egg Harbor Township. The 140 acres where Atkins has his studio has been turned into a nature preserve and belongs to the Keep Conservation Foundation.
While no longer serving as a medical professional in the psychiatry field, Atkins has built a commercial real estate portfolio that sustains his lifestyle and offers him the opportunity to spend most of his time sculpting.
On Jerry’s website, he describes his artistic inspiration, stating, “My goal as an artist is for others to perceive and ponder my work, and ultimately comprehend what I initially set out to express, from sketch to cast. Everything I create comes from a deep need to express something important to me – whatever that may be at the moment.”
Recent projects from Atkins include a sculpture that represented the sadness he felt when his dog died. As he ages, Atkins explains that many of his pieces relate to the end of life, including a broken wheelchair that is intended to be a metaphor for old age.
While many of his shows take place in cities such as New York and Washington D.C., the magic of it all happens right here in South Jersey on a tucked-away piece of land where birds are abundant, the woods whisper, and Jerry can be found covered in clay.
“To me, the pine barrens are just beautiful; I like the way they feel” shares Atkins. “Linda and I both love it here.”
For more information about Jerry’s work and upcoming shows, including his next gallery in New York from March 4-24, visit www.jerryatkins.com.
