A stunning collection of paintings, sculpture and decorative art from the 13th century to the present day.
Follow us online:
A stunning collection of paintings, sculpture and decorative art from the 13th century to the present day.
John Moores 2010
This exhibition is being held at the Walker Art Gallery, 18 September 2010 - 3 January 2011
2009,
Oil on board,
74.5 x 61 cm
I am looking for an image of self-contained wildness. I find painting deliciously
mysterious and happily limited.
I am inspired and deterred by the insane beauty and detail of my allotment garden,
where I paint daily. From the bacteria in the soil to invisible foxes, rats and owls that
patrol at night, it is impossible to show it all. Here too is culture-war-news. The complex
biodiversity in time and motion can only be generalised. 'Orange Paving' is a diagram of
my failure to illustrate it. Now I prefer to knock together an absurd community of
biological personalities, awkwardly interrelated.
The strong formal elements are defiant life-swipes against inaction, routes out of
mannerism, politeness and pop. The spirit and gesture of the London School and early
modernist paintings are referenced as are universal cell-structures and wobbly, wooden
allotment structures. The ventilated spaces are fuelled with a desperate smiley face; they
act as both animation mark and fatalist signature. I'm hanging on to representation but
not necessarily human.
Neal Jones was born in Liverpool in 1969.
He studied at Canterbury College of Art& Design 1989-92 and the Prince's
Drawing School London 2002-03. Since
2008 he has been an assistant to artist
Tess Jaray. Solo exhibitions are 'Look out'
Tess Jaray's shed London 2009 and 'New
Paintings and Hand Made Things' L-13
London 2010. Other exhibitions include
'Small is Beautiful' Flowers East London
2008, 'Winter Salon' Temple Bar Gallery
Dublin 2008, 'Summer Exhibition' Royal
Academy of Arts London 2009 and 'I am
the good artist' (2 person) L-13 London.
He was a prizewinner in 'John Moores 25'
2008.