From Life Class, 1968

Allen Jones’ Life Class (1968) edition series explores the fragmentation of the female figure through the juxtaposition of graphic abstraction and more realistic, photographic elements. In this composition, the upper half of the image is dominated by a stylized armchair, while the lower section reveals a woman’s legs emerging from beneath a blue skirt. The striking yellow ground and simplified forms heighten the tension between the familiar domestic object and the fragmented female body.

Originally issued as separate upper and lower sheets in transparent sleeves, the seven images of Life Class could be combined in different configurations, introducing an element of variation and play into the compositions. The series reflects Jones’ fascination with the female figure, fashion and the visual language of popular culture, while its combination of different printing techniques reinforces the contrast between the graphic and the photographic.