Floristry

Laura Jones · Wildflower

We first came across Sydney artist Laura Jones in 2013. Which really doesn’t seem that long ago, when you consider the mark Laura’s work has made within Australia’s contemporary art world in the few short years that have passed since then!

We always look forward to seeing what Laura’s been up to, and her latest body of work is another feast for the eyes. Her exhibition, WILDFLOWER opens at Olsen Irwin Gallery in Sydney next Wednesday March 2nd.

Written
by
Lucy Feagins

‘Summer Snow’ by Laura Jones, 2016, oil on linen, 152 x 122 cm, and ‘Banksia Speciosa and Striped Cloth’, 2016, oil on linen, 112 x 92 cm.

‘Flannel Flowers’ by Laura Jones, 2016, oil on linen, 152 x 122 cm, and ‘Banksia Robur’, 2016, oil on linen, 152 x 122 cm.

‘Sturt Desert Pea’ by Laura Jones, 2016, oil on linen, 152 x 122 cm, and ‘Banksia, Hydrangea and Balloon Plant’, 2016, oil on linen, 152 x 122 cm.

‘Mulla Mulla’ by Laura Jones, 2016, oil on linen, 71 x 61 cm, and ‘Firewheel’ 2016, oil on linen, 112 x 112 cm.

‘Kangaroo Paw and ‘Mulla Mulla with Roses and Dahlia’ by Laura Jones, 2016, oil on linen, 152 x 122 cm.

Writer
Lucy Feagins
22nd of February 2016

Laura Jones is a very special artist. From the moment we first came across her intensely beautiful work, we had an inkling she was destined for big things… and I have no doubt that in many years to come, we’ll look at Laura’s distinctive paintings with the same pride and affection as we do the work of Margaret Olley, Cressida Campbell and other much respected Australian artists. Such is Laura’s unique ability to capture the essence and fleeting beauty of her subject matter.

Though also a talented portraitist, it’s Laura’s floral works which have brought her most notoriety in recent years. Best known for her richly layered oil paintings depicting loose, luscious floral arrangements, Laura has gathered a loyal following over the past few years. Her upcoming show at Olsen Irwin Gallery in Sydney is a dedication to the Australian wildflower.

‘We are so lucky to have such beautiful and interesting flowers, with strong shapes and amazing colours’ Laura says. She’s also interested in why it is Australian flowers seem so exotic. ‘What is it that makes us think of European flowers like roses as soft and Australian flowers as ‘unusual’?’ she asks. ‘When you look at the Australian attitude toward still life painting since early white settlement, it is quite an interesting journey, one that I believe says a lot about who we are as a culture.’

Wildflower has been about 5 months in the making. Laura paints her flowers from life, which means her studio is always filled with amazing blooms! ‘I treat my studio like a flower shop’ she says. ‘I arrange real objects and flowers, move furniture around, sweep and tidy and walk around this set up until I see a composition in it that I like.’  She then starts painting, directly onto canvas, responding to the arrangement before her, painting urgently whilst the flowers are fresh and full of life.

Beyond this show, Laura is looking forward to an upcoming residency in rural Victoria, and is excited to be immersed in a whole new environment. ‘It’s always great to get a bit of space, and I’m really looking forward to the new perspective it will bring’ she says.

Laura is represented by Olsen Irwin Gallery and Gallery Ecosse.

WILDFLOWER by Laura Jones
2nd – 22nd March 2016
Olsen Irwin Gallery
63 Jersey Rd
Woollahra, NSW

 

‘Flannel Flowers and Banksia Robur’ by Laura Jones, 2016, oil on linen, 152 x 122 cm. Photo – Mim Stirling.

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