NewArtCentre | Allen Jones at Roche Court Sculpture Park

Allen Jones
Sabine
2020
Corten steel
225 x 165 x 130 cm
88 ⅝ x 65 x 51 ⅛ in.

A driver of the Pop movement in the 1960s, British artist Allen Jones established himself as an iconic and controversial artist. In light of his work appearing on the steps of the Met Gala in New York for this year's 'Fashion Is Art' theme, it is clear that his work remains as influential and relevant as it was when it emerged in the 60s. The subject of the female form has occupied his sculpture, paintings and prints, with his erotic 1969 'furniture' pieces addressing issues of gender and power. Over a career spanning six decades, Jones has made waves of thought and discourse around his pieces.

Allen Jones
High Wire
2006
Aluminium, painted
264 x 152 cm
8ft 8 in. x 5ft

In recent years the work of Allen Jones has evolved to portray expressive and stylised compositions involving figures in movement and performance. Jones has been sculpting with sheet metal since the 1980s; although two-dimensional, he bends his sculptures with graceful curves, emulating a sense of femininity whilst also creating a 3D effect. His sheet metal sculptures are elegant and graceful, yet Jones' use of bright, monochromatic colour bring a vibrancy to the pieces, reminiscent of his roots in Pop Culture. There are several works by Allen Jones at Roche Court Sculpture Park.

High Wire, a kinetic sculpture reminiscent of a dancer or tightrope walker, spins on a gentle axis. Inversing the practice of walking around a sculpture; the viewer remains perfectly still and mesmerised by the motion that allows the figure to be seen from all angles.

Allen Jones has exhibited widely during his career and there have been four major retrospectives of his work: at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool in 1979 which then travelled to the Serpentine Gallery, London and to several venues in Germany; the ICA in London held a retrospective in 1978 which travelled to the Fruit Market, Edinburgh and the Arnolfini, Bristol; the Barbican, London hosted a retrospective in 1995 which then toured worldwide with the British Council. The Royal Academy hosted a major retrospective of his work, from 13 November 2014 - 25 January 2015.

Allen Jones
Small Backward Bend
2021
Stainless steel and Corten blend
50 x 32 x 22 cm
1ft 7 ½ x 1ft ½ x 8 ½ in.
Edition 2 of 7

Jones studied at Hornsey College of Art and at the Royal College of Art where he worked alongside David Hockney, Peter Phillips and R.B. Kitaj. He has taught at art institutions extensively in the UK, North America and Germany including at the Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg, the University of South Florida, the University of California, the Berlin University of the Arts and the Banff Center School of Fine Arts in Canada. Jones has exhibited internationally in solo and group exhibitions. He has also been awarded a number of accolades for his work including the Prix des Jeunes Artistes at the 1963 Paris Biennale and is a Senior Academician at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Allen Jones
Blue Sprawl
2016
Aluminium
155 x 275 x 175 cm
61 x 108 ¼ x 68 ⅞ in.