Lucy Jones, totally, completely and absolutely Lucy Jones at Flowers Cork Street, London, july 2025 – Yeah, I know, the art coverage has kind of fallen off the edge around here, not that anyone is that bothered. I did, for what any of this is worth, make a point of going to Cork Street the day after the Lucy Jones show opened, I really did want to see this show as soon as possible. Opening nights at Flowers Gallery are never that great what with their (excellent) low lighting and the shadow casting that results, the gallery isn’t really set up for crowds, this is a space rather refreshingly about more than the private view or the opening night or whatever we’re calling these things this week? I was rather looking forward to this show and I really did enjoy it, not sure why it has taken me so long to bang out some words about it, well I do know why but hey here it is and really my opinion doesn’t matter, all that is really being said here is, hey, interesting show, well worth your time if you have time or chance, here’s a little flavour, some badly taken photos and hopefully some art coverage without all the aloof bullshit that normally comes along with art coverage, go and see for yourself. Surely that’s all you really need from us, a simple recommendation, a touch of cherry picking, a sign post or two? Or is that my inflated ego as well? 

I do like Lucy Jones and her rawness, her way of doing what she needs to do with such a powerful economy. Not sure why her portraits are seen as provocative, maybe that says more about the viewer that the artist? it would be easy to call her paintings simple, they’re not though, it isn’t easy to paint like this, it is far easier to not paint like this, far easier to show off your tedious photo-realism or your whatever, these paintings are defiantly good, they’re a breath of fresh air and I really did need to get in to the gallery as spend some personal time with them, with her bold fresh air.     

As someone very aware of how some people most definitely do look at someone with a visible disability rather differently, indeed something some of the people who run things in this street are rather guilty of, this show interested me on a number of levels. Mostly though, the exhibition interests as a working artist, as a painter and more than anything, just someone who gets so much out of explore art. 

Yes, through Jones’ revealing portrayal of her own body she rather positively addresses a number of ideas with these pieces, ideas of femininity, of fragility, ageing and disability. I love these paintings, I love the boldness, the, well is it really defiance? These pieces do feel very personal, they do touch on the political and the “highlight society’s way of viewing difference in others”, they touch on more than that though, these are very human paintings, warm pieces, comfortable (when for some they maybe might not have been?). And I have been enjoying seeing that banner hanging above Cork Street this Summer, that was more than a good appetiser 

“The artist, who was born with cerebral palsy, has faced the frustrations of her disability over-crowding people’s perceptions of her by using her defiant ferocity, vulnerability and wry sense of humour, turning the attention back onto the viewer. While the rhythmical landscape paintings tend to be intricately detailed, the figures in Jones’ portraits, which are almost life-sized, are framed by dense voids of layered colour, suggesting a physical and three-dimensional backdrop” – well suggesting that and, as I see it, rather a lot more.  I love the boldness, the colour, it does feel more than defiance though, she is defiantly painting but it is more than that, it isn’t just about being defiant. I probably am being too personal here, isn’t most good art personal on some level or other. Hey look, these paintings are wonderful, Lucy Jones is and exciting painter, a positive painter, it really is pleasure to be in the dark light of the afternoon in the almost empty gallery with the quiet (and maybe not so quiet paintings), with the conversations to be had with these pieces. I’ve never met Lucy Jones, I feel like I have met her though, through these and other works of hers. I was rather looking forward to this show, it more than lives up to my expectations, catch it if you can, I’ve been back a couple of time since the first day…. (sw)  

Flowers Cork Street is found at 21 Cork Street, London, W1S 3LZ. The Gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 10am until 6pm. The Lucy Jones exhibition runs until 2nd August 2025. Lucy Jones

Previous Flowers Gallery coverage on these pages

As always do please click on an image to see the whole thing or to run the slide show…