LONDON.- Following the successful show in 2008 of new sculpture, Marlborough Fine Art presents an exhibition of new paintings by Allen Jones one of Britain’s most distinguished artists.

The Theatre, and its relationship to painting, fascinates Allen Jones. “Space in the theatre is activated by actors, in painting it is activated by the viewer” this opening statement in a text by the artist published in the exhibition catalogue is informed by some 50 years of theatre going; from attending performances of Stravinsky conducted by Stravinsky and the first staging of Under Milkwood to witnessing Mohammed Ali regaining his title at Madison Square Garden. “Like the depth of field in a camera, there is a zone of engagement particular to every painting that will vary according to the size of the picture and the eyesight of the viewer. Within this zone the image will always remain in focus rather as a performance does in the theatre, even when we change our seat”. The new paintings develop the concept of a viewer’s “zone of engagement” as distinct from the experience at the cinema or live performance.

An important large-scale triptych will be shown and 4 other major canvasses. A series of smaller works and relief paintings together with lithographic works inspired by the theatre will also be exhibited.

Created a Royal Academician in 1986, Allen Jones’s work is included in many private and public international collections including Tate and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington DC; the Museum of 20th Century Art, Vienna; the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne; the Modern Museet, Stockholm and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.