John Jenkins Theater (1 Viewer)

[PolarBear]

As Shakespeare said "All the World's A Stage". This applies directly to the creations of John Jenkins. Prior to John becoming a maker of toy soldiers, he was a practicing theatrical designer for both the stage and television. Such experience has carried over into the figures and sets that he creates. He has spoken of his work with writers, actors and directors and their relation to the designs he created for productions of this type. I like to think of John's individual figures as actors waiting for their cues upon the "stages" of the scenes we create with them. I especially have fun combining figures from various sets and coming up with new ways to use these miniature actors' talents, perhaps in ways that never occurred to John while making them.

It is to that aspect of John's work that I dedicate this scene:

"World's Apart Winter 1758"

Henri Bles born in Dijon, France but now as a member of the Canadian Militia during the French & Indian War has been wounded and captured by British forces during a raid on a supply party in the vicinity of Fort Carillon. He is guarded by Charles Pelham, born in Maidstone, Kent England, now a soldier in the King's Army serving with the 27th Foot in North America. Henri speaks some English and the two men compare what their lives had been like in the Old World. Henri had been a farmer and Charles was apprenticed to a blacksmith before they found themselves on the other side of the world fighting over possession of new lands.

 

[old tank]

POLAR BEAR......A really nice diorama good work.

 

[PJDeluhery]

You're pretty darn good at this theater thing yourself, Randy. Very nice.

As a kid and until well into my adult years, I was always interested in a mass of troops - a cast of thousands often with many in the same pose. Since becoming more heavily involved in displaying figures, and perhaps due to the offerings of talented sculptors like Jenkins not available when we were kids, I have come to appreciate more and more the beauty and story-telling power of a few figures artfully presented. Truly, less is more.

My larger displays are often many small vignettes arragned into a larger scene, so that the viewer can appreciate the overall situation which in turn provides context for the individual scenes within.

Now that John and other makers are turning to the 2-3 figure vignette as a way of presenting and marketing their figures, we collector - directors have an increasingly rich stable of "players" to present on our stage in ways not contemplated by the sculptor. There's no question in my mind that we are living in the golden age of toy soldier sculpting.

 

[Lewey Gun Vick]

Excellent Randy! Can't wait to see what you have for us next!

Vick