Western Morning News (Saturday)
Intriguing insight into everyday life
AMAJOR new exhibition featuring the late Dartmoor artist Jean Jones begins today at The Brownston Gallery in Modbury.
Following last Autumn’s highly successful retrospective this new exhibition presents a more intimate view of the life and work of Jean Jones, the artist described by Iris Murdoch as “the next Van Gogh”.
We see glimpses of domestic life at Holywell Cottage in Oxford, where the family washing is hung out to dry in the sun, and the table is set every morning for breakfast; we share her delight in her paintings of the trees on Primrose Hill where Frank Bruno would break off from his morning jog to stop and chat with the lady in the funny hat; we are there with her in her friends’ beautiful and verdant garden just waiting for afternoon tea to be served on the shaded grass.
Jean Jones was a painter whose gift captured the everyday, the often hum-drum flow of family life, but with it created an endearing insight to her own perceptions of the world around her and of those she loved.
Touching portraits of family and friends appear alongside paintings of gardens and parks in Oxford and London, as well as her now instantly recognisable landscapes of her beloved Dartmoor.
Also on display will be newly unearthed archival material, including sketches, hand-drawn children’s books, photographs and letters making for an intimate collection, rich in fascinating detail.
Jean Jones – A Life Uncovered runs from May 8 to May 29. There is also an illustrated talk by Michael Kurtz on Wednesday, May 19 at 7pm.
Contact The Brownston Gallery for details and tickets. Numbers are strictly limited.
Telphone on 01548 831338 or email art@brownstonart.com.