LUCY JONES @ FLOWERS GALLERY – NEW YORK – APRIL 9 – MAY 9

Flowers Gallery has announced an exhibition of self-portraits by British artist Lucy Jones, presenting a selection of work from the past twenty-five years.

Known for her frank and revealing representations of the issues surrounding identity, Jones’ paintings address conventional notions of femininity, ageing and disability, through her close observation of the self.

Using herself as the model, Jones explores ideas of the ‘gaze’, claiming her own authority within the relationship between the viewer, artist and subject. She has said: “I look at you. You look at me. I let you look at me. YOU PROJECT ONTO ME.” Jones paints the props and supports in her life, including her glasses, walking sticks and her wheelie, examining their role in shaping her personal sense of self and the perceptions of others.

Representing the unseen remains important throughout Jones’ work. She considers the inner likeness to be more important than the exterior, which is sometimes referred to by the artist as a mask. She has described her work as having an “awkward beauty”, transforming the angular and unwieldy subject through her rhythmical balance of brilliant, complementary colors and tones.

Through her candid approach to the subject matter, Jones has also reached beyond the personal to approach a conversation with the viewer about a universal, shared experience. As she says: “By looking at myself I’m trying to reflect something about being human.”