20 March – 19 April 2009
Ross Jones highly finished and detailed drawings are cuttingly political. For all the messy issues with which they deal, Jones’ recent works are characterised by calm, considered reflection. In each of these works he seeks to distil a complicated political issue into just one of its visual constituent parts. The result stands as an iconic symbol for each individual problem in its entirety.
Affordable Housing explores the realities of the credit crunch in Britain, viewing the current collapse in the housing market as a sign of more wide ranging economic discomfort. Tower blocks have often been used as a quick fix solution to housing problems caused by economic decline. The blocks of flats depicted in this drawing are architecturally reminiscent of such older buildings, creating a parallel between previous recessions and the one we are currently experiencing.
Another work, Surgical Strike, takes its name directly from political rhetoric. The term is usually used to describe an air strike which has hit only its intended target with no collateral damage. In this drawing all of the destructive force from the explosion is focussed in on the precise vanishing point of the work, hinting at the apparent accuracy of these strikes but at the same time questioning exactly how ‘surgical’ you can be with a missile. This work has particular resonance in the context of recent events in Gaza.
While each piece has an explanation to accompany it, Jones’ work can function on its own. That is to say that it has the ability to speak for itself; a quality that has arguably been sidelined in the more recent past, but that has certainly not lost its value.
Jones has already received substantial interest; being selected to exhibit at the Celeste Art Prize (2006) and shortlisted for the Jerwood Prize (2007). In 2008 he was selected by Richard Billingham to exhibit at the West Midlands Open and was one of thirteen artists at the Exeter Contemporary Open, where he won the Proof Award. Later that year he was awarded the regional prize for the west of England at the National Open Art competition.
www.williamangel.com
