Vivien Abrams Collens is a sculptor who lives and works in New York. First as a painter, Collens found inspiration in architectural renderings of geometric forms that resulted in either shaped canvases or wall-mounted installation. In 2015 the artist decided to change course to pursue free-standing forms. Between her studios in Manhattan and Cornwall, New York, Collens has unleashed an array of colorful, painted-like gestures within the scope of space and time.

In July 2017 Collens installed “Flip Flop” at Salem Art Works in upstate New York. Made of steel, plexiglass and paint, “Flip Flop” was the artist’s first outdoor sculpture, which stood and extended about 8-feet. Within this structure, a small group of dynamic yellow, pink and red forms appear to bounce and swirl away from one another, adding a significant amount of eye-catching energy to this remote, rural field located in Salem, New York. Collens’ gestural line continues in three additional large scale pieces that have appeared exclusively in the Salem area: “Kenergy” (2017), “Come Together” (2018) and “Cloud Catcher”. (2018)

Two of Collens’ public sculptures are an homage to Friedrich Froebel. “Froebel’s Gifts: Energized Cube” (2017) presents a tower made of 12 identical modules arranged to extend 16 feet into the sky. Small yellow and blue cubes balance precariously on the edge at particular points, implying motion and serving as observational guideposts. “Froebel’s Gifts: Blue Circuit” reflects the same aesthetic except the composition is mostly blue. Both sculptures are currently on view in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Vivien Collens’ sculptures first appeared in New York City in 2015 at Gensler architecture firm's Rockefeller Center gallery. Included in the solo exhibit were “City Blocks,” her first freestanding sculptures. Seeing them in the gallery, Collens knew it was time to pursue sculpture. In the past two years Collens’ sculptures have been exhibited in New York in Katonah, Saratoga Springs, Glens Falls, Salem, Newburgh, and New York City, as well as in New Orleans and North Bennington, VT.

After learning to weld during a 2017 residency, Collens installed five large-scale public sculptures in the past two years with the help of residencies at Salem Artworks and support from Sculpture for New Orleans. Collens’ first solo exhibition as a sculptor opened May 4th, 2019 and was on view until June 23rd at the Holland Tunnel Gallery in Newburgh, New York. Since 1967 the artist has received fellowships to the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, the Athena Foundation, Hand Hollow and Salem Artworks. Her art can be found in museums and corporate art collections throughout the United States.