When his "Furniture" sculptures arrived in British[1] galleries in 1969 (three fibreglass female figures posed as a table, a chair, and a hatstand, each dressed in fetish gear), Allen Jones became one of the most controversial artists in Britain almost overnight. Feminist activists doused the hatstand at the ICA with a corrosive liquid. Jones later said of the works: "I wanted to make something that would arrest people if they came into the room." A 2014 retrospective at the Royal Academy reopened the same arguments without settling them.
Key facts
- Born
- 1937, British[1]
- Works held in
- 18 museums
- Wikipedia
- View article
Biography
The sculptures were a provocation built on a decade of serious painting. Trained at Hornsey College of Art and the Royal College of Art in the late 1950s, Jones emerged as a first-generation English Pop artist alongside David Hockney and Peter Phillips, using the visual language of advertising to present the body as spectacle. His 1963 canvas "Man Woman" (213 x 188.5 cm, Tate London), part of a series subtitled "Hermaphrodite", features a headless male figure in a striped tie that functions as a self-portrait; Jones framed it as a visual response to Jungian theory, which holds that art-making requires integrating both masculine and feminine impulses.
The "Furniture" figures were not produced by Jones himself. He commissioned a sculptor from Madame Tussauds to fabricate the fibreglass forms, then dressed and posed them with a precision closer to fashion photography than sculpture. This decision to outsource fabrication is now read as a precursor to Jeff Koons's model of manufactured art objects.
Jones has continued working into his eighties, producing paintings that remain committed to figuration and high-key colour. His early works are held at the Tate, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Ludwig Museum in Cologne.
Timeline
- 1937Born in Britain.
- 1959Studied at Hornsey College of Art in the late 1950s.
- 1963Created the canvas "Man Woman", part of the "Hermaphrodite" series. It features a headless male figure and responds to Jungian theory.
- 1969His "Furniture" sculptures, featuring fibreglass female figures, were displayed in British galleries, causing controversy.
- 1969Feminist activists doused the hatstand sculpture at the ICA with corrosive liquid.
- 2014A retrospective of his work at the Royal Academy reopened arguments about his "Furniture" sculptures.
Notable Works
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Related Artists
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Allen Jones known for?
Allen Jones is known for his Pop art, particularly his "Furniture" sculptures from 1969, which featured fibreglass female figures posed as furniture. These sculptures, such as a table, chair, and hatstand, were controversial and drew attention to Jones's work. He is also known for his 1963 canvas "Man Woman."Who was Allen Jones?
Allen Jones, born in 1937[1], is a first-generation English Pop artist who trained at Hornsey College of Art and the Royal College of Art. Jones is known for using the visual language of advertising to present the body as spectacle. His 1963 canvas "Man Woman" features a headless male figure in a striped tie that functions as a self-portrait.What was Allen Jones's art style?
Allen Jones is one of the most significant representatives of English Pop Art[1] of the 1960s. His motifs address erotic themes on a direct level, and he varies his motifs and works in different techniques. He uses the visual language of advertising to present the body as spectacle.When was Allen Jones born?
Allen Jones was born in 1937[1].
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Allen Jones.
- [1] wikipedia Wikipedia: Allen Jones Used for: biography, birth dates, death dates, identifiers, movement attribution, nationality.
- [2] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [3] book Masterpieces of western art : a history of art in 900 individual studies from the Gothic to the present day Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [4] book Alastair Sooke, Pop Art Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-17. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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