On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, Jean Jones And The Love Of Painting by Michael Kurtz is a captivating biography that celebrates the vibrant, idiosyncratic art and resilient spirit of an overlooked 20th-century British painter, brought to life through vivid storytelling and stunning visuals.
Jean Jones And The Love Of Painting
In a world where forgotten talents are finding new light, Jean Jones and the Love of Painting by Michael Kurtz emerges as a long-overdue tribute to a singular yet overlooked 20th-century British artist. This visually rich and deeply researched biography unveils the life and work of Jean Jones, a painter whose emotional intensity and uncompromising vision resonate strikingly with contemporary audiences.
Jean Jones’ art was more than a creative pursuit—it was a lifeline. Born into a Britain scarred by war and personal turmoil, Jones turned to painting as both an escape and a form of resistance against a society that often marginalized her. Her work, spanning the 1960s to the early 2000s across Oxford, London, and Devon, defies easy categorization. Unsettling distortions, lonely landscapes, and mask-like faces populate her canvases, reflecting a world where truth and morality were increasingly questioned. Yet, as Kurtz reveals, her paintings also embody a relentless search for coherence and joy amidst chaos.
A Turbulent Life, A Resilient Spirit
Jones’ art was deeply personal, shaped by a life marked by the violence of the Blitz, the intellectual pretensions of post-war Oxford, and her struggles with mental illness. Painting offered her solace—a way to connect with nature, assert her identity, and reclaim her voice. Her distinctive style, described as idiosyncratic, draws parallels with her artistic heroes, Vincent van Gogh and Stanley Spencer. Like them, Jones forged her own path, rooted in the discipline of drawing. Inspired by Van Gogh’s letters to his brother Theo, she understood that to paint, she first had to learn to see. This foundational principle underpins her powerful body of work, which feels as fresh and relevant today as it was during her lifetime.
Michael Kurtz: Championing a Legacy
Kurtz, a London-based writer and curator, brings an authoritative voice to this narrative. A graduate of the University of Oxford, where he won the Gibbs Prize in 2019, Kurtz co-founded the Jean Jones Estate the same year. His writing, featured in e-flux, The London Magazine, and Burlington Contemporary, reflects a deep engagement with visual culture, further evidenced by his 2023 International Award for Art Criticism.
In this large-format hardback, packed with vivid reproductions of Jones’ paintings, Kurtz not only chronicles her tumultuous life but also celebrates her unwavering commitment to her craft.
Jean Jones and the Love of Painting is more than a biography—it is an act of recognition. It honors an artist who, despite being overlooked in her time, created a body of work that speaks to the resilience of the human spirit. For those eager to discover a visionary who saw the world differently, this book is a revelation, bringing Jean Jones’ extraordinary legacy into sharp focus.
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