It’s Studio Sunday – let’s take a look inside the studio of sculptor and pop artist Allen Jones. Jones is mostly known for his sculptural works, though he spent much of his early career creating paintings. The artist’s best-known work features female mannequins, sometimes appropriated into furniture with a nod toward fetishization and objectification.

Jones’ studio, pictured here, is located in England. The building that houses it was a hat factory during the Victorian era, and has been converted quite nicely into an art studio space. My first impression of Jones’ studio is that it is beautifully lit, and quite crowded for what a large space it is. The photo above showcases the artist’s many painting supplies – though he is not particularly known as a painter anymore, it’s likely that he utilizes painting techniques not only in his finished projects but also in sculptural mock-ups and to create his finished sculptures.

The second photo showcases some of Jones’ sculptural works. In the foreground, abstract expressionist-style sculptures dominate the tabletop, each looking like a gestural version of a human figure, and painted in different monochromes. In the far background, a few of Jones’ mannequin sculptures are visible. I can’t quite make out the subjects of the photographs in the foreground, but they look like group photos of friends or family – a cute addition to the work space.

While Jones’ works have been widely criticized over the years for objectifying the female figure and presenting women as sexualized objects, the artist himself says that these readings are inaccurate. According to Jones, his works are more about the combination of classically art-involved figures with objects that are traditionally removed from the art world. 

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