Taking the form of a composition book – a classic style of American notebook – Written English is an Allen Jones artwork in book form. Over 40 pages, Jones playfully explores the English language, and its use… and misuse.

“Conquest and trade allowed the English language to become the World’s lingua franca, perhaps because its phonetic and grammatical structure is more pliable than most languages,” says Jones. “Global, popular culture, advertising and newspapers have shown a creativity that has enriched and extended our English usage.”

Jones was elected a Royal Academician in 1986. He is one of Britain’s most distinguished artists from the pioneering Pop Movement, whose paintings and sculptures are held in many important international collections, including: Tate Gallery and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington DC, the Museum of 20th-Century Art in Vienna, the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne, the Moderna Museet in Stockholm and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.

Written English is one of a collection of four artist’s books by Allen Jones that Black Dog Press released in September 2022.