Photograph by Rachel Kara, 2015.
about LAURA JONES
Laura Jones’ luminous paintings embody a deep admiration for the natural world. Her often unusual and awkward compositions invite the viewer to share in the experiential process of painting. She has developed a method of capturing the essence of her subject without being overly concerned with the minutiae of a botanic artist.
Born in 1982 in Sydney, Jones earned a Bachelor of Arts (Asian Studies) from the University of Sydney, and a Master of Art from the College of Fine Arts (UNSW). She has been included in numerous public exhibitions including a solo exhibition at the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery in 2015.
Regularly punctuating her practice with portraiture, she has been selected as a finalist in competitions such as the Portia Geach Memorial Award, the Doug Moran Portrait Prize, and the Shirley Hannan Portrait Award.
In her first solo exhibition Wildflower at Olsen Gallery, Laura Jones celebrated the Australian wildflower. While knowingly engaging with the lineage of still life, her paintings are contemporary renditions of the genre.
Tiny stems of kangaroo paw or flowering gum are placed in crystal vases and scaled up for a fresh perspective. Jones, who has worked as a florist, has an observation based studio practice, setting up the arrangements and painting from life.
Addicted to the powerful symbology of the ephemeral bloom, Jones juxtaposed wildflowers with their European counterparts in a series of paintings that declare a deep respect for the importance of flowers in both art and life. Laura Jones is represented by Olsen Gallery, Sydney.