The coats have stories to tell. The peacock coat was comissioned to replace a much loved peacock who jealously guarded his companion. I wanted to weave a protective coat of his poetry around Adrian Henri. My own picture coats relate chapters in my life, written anecdotes are also woven in the image and record events happening around me when the coat is being made. They are patchwork with applique and reverse applique - I called my coats "walking pictures" They are like paintings with sleeves you can take off the wall and wear out in the streets. I have often thought of some of the images as wearable body paintings rather like the San Blas Kunas and their intricate molas. Recent pieces have been made to personal commission and also shown is a cut paper " house of fairy tales" ruff which formed part of the recent "Equisite Trove" exhibition New Gallery Walsall October 09-Jan2010.
The original "Tolkien" coat was made in 1969 and the second picture coat "Akhnaton", created in 1976, now forms part of the - V&A Textile Collection- ref: John Jones:Coat T114 - 1989: Contact textilesandfashion@vam.ac.uk to view the coat.. I have redrawn the original Bird coat image and it is available as a print in the gallery store.