Royal Academy Advertising Poster for Allen Jones 2014/15
I went into this exhibit of works spanning the career of Allen Jones with one main question, ‘is he a misogynistic pig??
I find I am still none the wiser. It’s difficult to ignore the overt sexuality of the figures portrayed in both his paintings and his sculptural work but throughout all the literature about his work, you are encouraged to focus on ambiguity of sexuality and gender. I’m not so sure. while examining his large paintings and life-sized sculptural representations of women I can’t get away from the fact that he has almost entirely avoided displaying his women with any clothes on. No, actually, to his credit they are fairly regularly clothed. However, scantily and almost without exception, displaying the un-naturally pert buttocks and breasts with their monumental nipples and neat little vaginal ridges. Men on the other hand are always clothed, often in business suits, I assume to demonstrate their superiority of station.
Perhaps I’m missing the point and I’d happily be corrected if I am but I’m afraid I don’t buy it.
