Ballroom Spy - Jeanette Jones

P H OTO G R A P H S B Y J E A N E T T E J O N E S

F E AT H E R S Catalogue No.1

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Front Cover: Tender Touch (detail), Catalogue No.3

The Ballroom Spy

Photographs by Jeanette Jones

H EART BR EAK 17 Bulstrode Street | London W1U 2JH +44 ( 0 ) 20 3219 5710 / info@heart-break.co.uk Open Monday to Saturday 10am --- 6pm, Sunday 11am --- 4pm www.heart-break.co.uk

Portrait of Jeanette Jones and Jack Vettriano by Fredi Marcarini

The Ballroom Spy

An exhibition of photographs by Jeanette Jones and paintings by Jack Vettriano 14th May - 19th June 2011 Hear tbreak 17 Bulstrode Street London W1U 2JH Transferring 1st July - 31st August 2011

Royal West of England Academy Queen’s Road Clifton, Bristol BS8 1PX +44 (0)117 973 5129

info@rwa.org.uk

The photographs featured above by Jeanette Jones are amongst those directly referenced in a series of paintings by Jack Vettriano and which are to feature in The Ballroom Spy exhibition.

The Ballroom Spy An exhibition of paintings by Jack Vettriano and photographs by Jeanette Jones.

Jack Vettriano and photographer, Jeanette Jones, have teamed up for The Ballroom Spy, an exhibition of their dance inspired works.

Featuring over forty photographs by Jeanette Jones and twelve new paintings by Jack Vettriano, The Ballroom Spy showcases the glamorous and intoxicating world of professional ballroom dancing, taking the viewer on stage and behind the scenes; from covert glimpses of backstage nerves to the full flourish bravado of performance under the glare of the spotlight.

Vettriano’s paintings are interpretations of classic images from Jones’ impressive archive of photographs shot at championship competitions around the country over the last ten years. He releases the characters from their black and white world and puts them into his own signature settings, steeped in colour.

An accomplished dancer herself, Jones captures the split second moments that define the look and mood of the different routines from a classic Waltz to the intense passion of a Tango. Known for her ability to win the confidence of her subjects, Jones has been given very rare access to the dance floor at championships and to the backstage preparations. Her extraordinary photographs offer us a glimpse behind the scenes and up close and personal with the key players of the ballroom dancing world.

Jones came to photography relatively late in life but has achieved some considerable success, winning numerous awards for her advertising campaigns. Her images are known to a global audience through publication as cards and posters.

Jack Vettriano met Jeanette Jones in the mid 1990’s and was bowled away by her talent.

“She manages to capture the magic and realism of ballroom. She’s able to build an instant rapport with the dancers, and works brilliantly under pressure. She only has one chance to record that moment, that look, that heel flick. Whereas I have the luxury to contemplate, to take my time and choose the moment that I wish to paint.”

For Jones, the opportunity to collaborate with Vettriano was too good to resist. Known for her stunning black and white photographs, she was intrigued to see how Jack would respond to her work. “I’m a huge fan of his work as well as counting him as a friend, so it has been great to work together on this exhibition.”

We are delighted to be able to bring together the work of these two artists who share a passion for dance and an ability to capture a moment whether on film or on canvas.

Portrait of Jeanette Jones by Patrick Jones

Introduction Jeanette Jones came to photography relatively late in life having been for many years a wife and mother, leading a happy but unexceptional life. It was when her children had grown up that her thoughts turned to how best to fill her newly found free time.

A birthday gift of a camera from her husband inspired Jeanette to take night classes in photography and she embarked on a journey she assumed would be no more than a hobby. She struggled during the first term, often coming close to giving up but it was whilst on holiday in Spain that she first applied her new found skills and discovered that she had a natural facility and talent.

A naturally charming woman, Jeanette soon discovered she had the ability to win over the confidence of her subjects and was allowed to take shots that captured intimate moments, in every sense, in the diverse lives of the people whom she met. Fascinated by worlds that present one vision to the public with another underworld to be discovered behind the scenes, she found her next subject to explore following a visit to Madame Jo Jo’s, the infamous Soho club. A year exploring the world of drag queens produced a stunning collection of photographs which were published, to great acclaim, in the book Walk on the Wild Side (Souvenir Press).

Now Jones has turned her lens upon quite different subject-matter. A keen and accomplished dancer herself, she decided to turn her attention to the world of ballroom dancing and her visits as a spectator to ballroom-dancing championships in Blackpool and the Royal Albert Hall, confirmed that she had found a wealth of material.

Her ballroom work represents a departure for Jones. Instead of coaxing, and cajoling her models to pose, she snapped them as she found them, followed them to costume fittings and into changing-rooms, trespassed on to the dance floor as they went whirling by. An instinct for a split-second moment produces something poignant and peculiarly lovely – not just cliché images of confected glamour, but sweat and toil and emotion. The diminutive woman with the camera, with her deceptively unassuming manner, has got to the very core of this world, where many bigger, brasher, starrier photographers could never hope to do.

In an interview that dates back to the late ‘90’s are about her work and her instinct for subjects, Jeanette made a prescient comment: “When I pick a subject or photograph something, then it becomes fashionable. This happened with my studies of male models and then my drag queens and you’ll find it will be dance next. I can see dance becoming very, very fashionable. You wait and see what’s going to happen with dance.”

The Ballroom Spy is the biggest exhibition to date of Jeanette Jones’ ballroom dancing photographs and we are privileged to be premiering the exhibition at Heartbreak before the show transfers to the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol in July.

PERFECT BALANCE Catalogue No.2

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ELEGANCE Catalogue No.3

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THE FUTURE Catalogue No.16

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KALEIDOSCOPE Catalogue No.18

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IN FLIGHT Catalogue No.19

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TA N G O AT T H E WA L D O R F Catalogue No.20

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TENSION Catalogue No.21

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SAMBA RHYTHM Catalogue No.22

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CHA CHA CHA Catalogue No.24

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HOLE IN ONE Catalogue No.29

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Feathers Perfect Balance Elegance Tender Touch Satin and Lace The Tango Lesson Waiting Resting Keeping Warm Cooling Down Ladies in Waiting Captured In the Spotlight Swoon Matilda The Future A Strong Lead Kaleidoscope In Flight Tango at the Waldorf Tension Samba Rhythm Dance of Love Cha Cha Cha Forever Tango Tango Passion Beso Mi Mucho Petals Hole in One

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Pinning Stretching First Fitting Last Glance A Beautiful Bow Finishing Touches Quick Stitch Checking In Man at Work More Water The Tailor Perfection in White Shoes On Nylon Stockings Nails Perfect Grooming Lacing Up Shoe Brushing The End

Edition of 50 Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition Open Edition

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Dimensions quoted are overall for print paper size, height before width.

Catalogue Number 1 -- 30 : Gold toned chloro-bromide silver gelatin prints Catalogue Number 31 -- 49 : Digitial prints Prints are for sale on receipt of this catalogue, please refer to the enclosed price list.

Images of the photographs not featured in this catalogue but included in the exhibition are featured on our website: www.heart-break.co.uk

Biography I started dancing when I was twelve years old. My mother, Matilda, sent me to the Morris Jay School of Dancing, where I was taught by the wonderful Dennis Drew. After the school closed, Dennis wento went on to open his own studio with his wife, Olga, and I followed them there. I worked my way through taking all my medals, gold bars and all the gold stars until I reached a point where I decided not to carry on as I didn’t want to compete or teach. Dancing has, however, remained an absolute passion of mine and I dance as often as I can these days.

After school, I went on to study at the London School of Fashion where I learnt all aspects of dressmaking, which is why I so admire the tailors and dressmakers of the ballroom dancing world.

I married and had three children, whom I adore and after they had grown up and left home, I enrolled for evening classes in photography. To be honest, I don’t know if I found photography, or if photography found me.

The images featured in this catalogue stem from my background in dancing, dressmaking and photography, all mixed together. I hope you enjoy these images, feel the dances, music and passion that I tried to capture.

I always say, there is no language barrier with dance – you talk with your feet.

Enjoy the Dance.

Jeanette Jones My Thanks go out to the following people for their support…

Firstly I would like to thank Ron Gunn, tailor to all the most important male dancers. Ron took me to a Tea Dance at the Café de Paris in London many years ago and introduced me to the ballroom dancing world and the wonderful people who inhabit it.

Elaine Gornall, dressmaker to many World Champions and whose beautiful dresses are worn by many of the dancers in my photographs. Elaine has allowed me to park my cameras in her private Box at the Royal Albert Hall on numerous occasions, which has been a huge help.

Jack Vettriano, a very talented man whom I admire greatly. I have often thought about the similarities in our work and am flattered that my photographs have inspired the paintings that feature in The Ballroom Spy exhibition. We have a mutual admiration for each other’s work and I am privileged to count him as one of my private collectors.

Nathalie Martin, Heartbreak Gallery Director, for spending hours with me selecting the photographs featured in this exhibition.

The powers that be of the ballroom world…after a year’s wait, they gave me an Access all Areas Pass at the 1997 Championships at Blackpool and I never looked back.

Finally, to my mother Matilda, who started everything by sending me to dance classes when I was 12.

I dedicate this exhibition to her.

Published and Produced by Heartbreak, 17 Bulstrode Street, London W1U 2JH +44 (0)20 3219 5710 / info@heart-break.co.uk / www.heart-break.co.uk For the 2011 exhibition ‘The Ballroom Spy’ Illustrations and Text © Heartbreak Photograph of Jack Vettriano and Jeanette Jones © Fredi Marcarini

THE END Catalogue No.48

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The Ballroom Spy

1 4 M AY ---- 1 9 J U N E 2 011 H E A RT B R E A K 1 J U LY ---- 3 1 AU G U S T 2 011 ROYA L W E S T O F E N G L A N D AC A D E M Y Enquire about this item

HE A RT B R EAK 17 Bulstrode Street | London W1U 2JH +44 ( 0 ) 20 3219 5710 / info@heart-break.co.uk www.heart-break.co.uk