By Clive Jennings
Roland Collins, a Fitzrovia Artist and a founder member of the Charlotte Street Association, is enjoying a rebirth of interest in his work with a major exhibition which opened this week at Cork Street gallery, Browse & Darby.
Formerly at 29 Percy Street, where he had a studio from 1940 to 1983, and then Colville Place, he first exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Show in 1937 at the tender age of 19 and his first one man show was held at The Fitzroy Tavern in 1966.
A life long passion for architecture informs much of his work, and can be seen in his lively depictions of the landscape and architecture of Sussex, Kent, Dieppe, and of course, London, where he has documented so many buildings that caught his eye, many of which no longer exist.
Working in the romantic tradition of his near contemporaries, Eric Ravilious, John Piper and Edward Bawden, his inventive use of colour and bold, decisive line add a new dimension to his choice of subject, both grand and humble.
Roland Collins at Browse & Darby, 19 Cork Street, London W1S 3LP. 24 April to 10 May. browseanddarby.co.uk