A Single Echo

Jones made another lithograph in similar style, The Lesson, in 1967. Printed by Mathieu in Zurich and published by Editions Alecto it was produced in an edition of 50:

One of the visual devices that was frequently explored in 60s art was the tiled (to indicate perspective) horizontal ‘surface’ as a fragment rather than as part of an integrated overall image representing a visual reality; for example in Peter Phillips 1968 screenprint, Christmas Eve:

This device provided a ready means by which the viewer could be engaged in a looking/thinking process testing the perception of the work as a flat surface/existential object versus the representation on it of a ‘picture’ imported from the outside world. The Lesson sums this up so well, visually and in its text:

Realism is simply the immediate comprehension of a set of pictorial conventions that, through perpetual use, have become familiar to everyone. This over-experience, has blunted out our sensativity (sic), and, in order to keep alert the lady in my illustration is doing her exercises. Repeat after me ‘this surface is flat’. 

Note also that ‘the lady’ – she’s reality, yes (?) – (the ‘floor’s just drawing, yes (?)) – has two shoes but only one leg, and, by the way, the drawing/colour filling of the tiles is incomplete; it sounds like a mess, but it’s a fascinating, very satisfying image.

Allen Jones – A New Perspective on Floors: Introduction

I first became enthusiastic about Allen Jones’s work when I saw his exhibition at Tooths in the summer of 1967:

I was especially impressed by the extra visual dimension provided by the shelves incorporated into the bottom edge of the canvases; together with the striking imagery and the beautiful hue/tone gradations, this made for a fantastic suite of paintings. Here, below, are two of them:

In parallel with the paintings Editions Alecto published in 1966 a set of 6 lithographs with the title: A New Perspective on Floors. This was an edition of 20, presented in a green box. Although the rapidly burgeoning fine art print scene at this time was largely driven by the widespread adoption of the screenprint medium, Jones has always favoured lithography. Printing on this occasion – as with A Fleet of Buses (also 1966) – was carried out in Los Angeles at Tamarind Workshops.

Here is the poster subsequently commissioned from Kelpra Studio and published in 1967 in an edition 325, of which 20 were signed:

Now, some excellent news for long standing AJ fans like me or anyone who is not yet acquainted with his marvellous body of work: a major exhibition opens next month at the Royal Academy – https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/allen-jones-ra