Jeff Colby used mixed media and collage to create art on the theme of his own personal and emotional struggle. In his work, he united themes of hope with horror, beauty with tragedy and the curiosity of life. After his diagnosis of HIV in the 1990s, Colby's work tended to be more emotional and physical because of the turmoil brought about by his illness. Colby died shortly after his major exposition at the Chicago Cultural Center in 1996.