Designer Analysis - Jones, Allen

Jones, Allen
Man Woman, 'Hermaphrodite' series

Allen Jones a British Sculpture born in 1937. His worked revolved around the Jungian psychology and the philosophy of Nietzche. He focused on the creation of art and the ability to integrate male and female elements. His work can be seen as part of the British Pop Art movement which started in the mid 1950s and peaked in the 1960s.


The Pop Art movement draws from sources in popular and commercial culture, such as movies, advertising, packaging, pop music and comic books, to form the perspective of fine art. Often using objects to represent the subject then engage with an combine to produce contemplations. but the subject itself isn't about the techniques it is about the attitude of challenging tradition. It is one of the first examples of postmodernism. Often the artists used low subject matter and treated it uncritically. Jones exploring the topic of hermaphrodites in this manner is an example of how new subject matter can be developed in new ways when presenting art.


Jones's Man Woman painting from his 'Hermaphrodite' series is a self portrait, the mans body is Jones and he is connected to an unknown woman, The word Hermaphrodite can mean male and female bodies melting into each other. Jones is portraying the unity of a sexual act.


Within the picture there is a representation of a male and female then body connected as if he has his arm around her as they are sitting down, an innocent act of affection.


The bodies do not have heads, which takes away most of their identity emphasising there choice of clothing to discover any characteristics. The man is wearing a typical everyday brown suit worn by most of the British office users in 1960 when they head. She appears less professional but very femine, a v-cut neck forms part of her dress or skirt arrangement; it appears ruffled, designed, colourful and exciting. In the scene it has been hitched up to reveal the whole of her right leg: tights, suggested stockings and heels. If I was to read into the story told by the painting and make my own subjective assumptions I would guess that this was an office love story of lust, affection and betrayal as the employee has an affair with the sectary.


Block colour has been used to create the image; appearing almost cut out. A mixture of about ten pastels. On her evenly distributed to make up her dress: a brown dirty and a lighter sunnier shade of yellow, two soft lake greens and a sky blue. Then an almost violet blue for her covered leg, and for the reveled, a fresh, skin, peach and a soft, deep, velvet, purple for her thigh. On him less colour is used: a pinkie, peachy chest, then a brown trouser and shirt, and a dirtier, darker brown for his jacket. His tie however is thinly striped and echos colours from her dress. she is sitting on a navy seat and he is perched on her which is emphasised but the gap between his legs and body where there is nothing. Although cutout, the colours disperse slightly at the edges and there is occasional blurring.