The achingly cool new capsule collection from Birmingham born artist, Jon Jones, depicts the eclectic array of celebrities with whom he would most like to enjoy a drink and hear more about their wide-ranging careers and experiences. ‘My Last Round’ immortalises a diverse line up of popular icons, both past and present, each with their own story to tell. From heavyweights of the music industry Madonna and Prince, to legendary artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, each personality has been selected for a reason specific to the artist. Some of his subjects inspire Jones, some intrigue him and others, by his own admission, he simply thinks are too cool to exclude. This collection resounds with many ‘firsts’ for the artist, many of which contributed to his final line-up. Jones remembers watching Mad Max for the first time when he was twelve, and so enamored was he with the character, he walked with a limp to emulate his new found hero. Similarly, he recounts first becoming aware of Madonna; “I had never seen anything like her before. A couple of friends and I got free tickets to watch Desperately Seeking Susan at the Odeon cinema in Birmingham, and she swiftly became my first celebrity crush.” Alongside the fond remembrances and youthful nostalgia in ‘My Last Round’ there is a great deal of humour to be discovered. For example, in looking at the Winona Ryder piece, one might be forgiven for thinking that lager might not be her drink of choice – until the association of Skol with Vikings (known pillagers) triggers a memory of her well-documented unfortunate shoplifting incident. Likewise, no need to cast one’s mind back through the annals of Michael Caine’s acting career to early Shakespearean roles – the significance of the King Lear logo is a nod to the actor’s cockney heritage; rhyming slang for beer. With the guest list decided, we must ask where the artist would hold this fantasy soiree. The answer comes readily to Jones; “My favourite pub in the whole world is The Chandos in London. Every time I go to the capital, I visit the Rembrandt exhibition at the National Gallery and pop into the National Portrait Gallery to see Lucian Freud. I always have a pint at The Chandos afterwards, which is just across the road. It is also the pub where I met up with my parents when I was part of the National Portrait Gallery Portrait Prize exhibition, which was of course a very proud time both for them and me.” So, it is with glasses charged that we raise a toast to Jon Jones, and call “Time, ladies and gentlemen, please” on the enviable and aspirational gathering of ‘My Last Round’.
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