Allen Jones is a British sculptor, painter and lithographer. He has taught art in several places around the world, including the University of South Florida, the Banff Center School of Fine Arts in Canada and the Berlin University of arts. Allen Jones is known to the pop artist genre, and is famous for several pieces. His most famous work is probably ‘Hatstand, Table and Chair.’ This was the subject of controversy as it involved mannequins. The mannequins were dubbed ‘fetish mannequins’ and drew various protests. Allen Jones said his work was ‘Abstract Impressionism.’ Allen Jones is best known for voicing his opinions on wanting to change which art was ‘acceptable.’ He pushed art to the limits, and was actually thrown out of the Royal Academy of Arts as professors were abhorred by his work. (He did return and finish his degree, and he’s now a Sr. Academician at the same institute.)
Jones’ firsts works are considered to be among those which launched British pop art. A display of several school buses on shaped canvases led to Jones’ introduction to other pop artists like Andy Warhol. He moved to New York City to explore artists and methods in America, and became known for his dimensional painting, or making his pictures ‘grabable’ as he would say- or in three dimensions. He also became famous for the eroticism displayed in his works. He took inspiration from his own paintings to begin sculpting. His sculptures were referenced in Stanley Kubrick’s film ‘A Clockwork Orange.’ Jones never apologized for his work, but said that his main goal was to offend people who thought his work was unacceptable.
