Lucy Jones
Lucy Jones is known for her self-portraits and vibrant landscapes. She studied at Byam Shaw School of Drawing and Painting (1974–6), Camberwell College of Art (1976–9), and the Royal College of Art (1979–82). Jones began to paint herself whilst recipient of a scholarship to the British School in Rome (1982), initiating a career-long series of self-portraits that document her experience of living with cerebral palsy. This condition can affect movement, balance, and coordination. Jones’ early self-portraits document her experience of feeling as though she were ‘split down the centre’, with one side of her body operating out of sync with the other. Over time, these portraits have gradually unified as the artist has become more accepting of and confident with her condition. Knowledge of colour theory – including contrast, tone, and making spectrums and charts – informs her practice, contributing to the emotional and psychological intensity of these works. Jones also uses bold colours in her landscape paintings of London. The city is depicted as unpopulated and ordered but is given an energetic liveliness through vibrant colour. More recently, Jones has been painting other people and the landscapes near her home in the West Midlands.
Selected Collections
Arts Council Collection
Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
Usher Gallery (Lincoln)
Further Reading
Jones, Lucy. Looking at Self. London: Momentum, 2006.
Packer, William, Matthew Collings, and Lucy Jones. Stepping Out into a World Beyond. London: Flowers Gallery, 2009. Exhibition catalogue.
Shakespeare, Tom, Philip Vann, and Charlotte Jansen. Awkward Beauty: The Art of Lucy Jones. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2019.
