Hello!
Hi, I’m Christopher P Jones.
There seems to me a wonderful purity to the act of transcribing ideas into words: that these curious symbols — letters and words — can travel between readers and sustain the same function; can even travel across continents and persist for decades and centuries. The effort it takes to create them is no more than a flick of the pen or a few finger-taps on the keyboard, yet, like the incredible energies stored in atomic particles, the smallest entity can contain extraordinary power. That’s why I’ve long wanted to be a writer.
As a writer on art history and culture, my aim is to help people to gain more from looking at art by delving deep into individual works and exploring the stories behind them. I consider how art reflects thoughts, feelings and experiences, offering a mirror to the world and a window into the lives and minds of others.
My aim is to help people see beyond the surface of artworks, to uncover the ideas they embody and the emotions they evoke. I believe that every painting, sculpture, or piece of design carries within it not only the imprint of its maker but also the cultural and historical ideas circulating at the time. Art filters these forces through a personal lens, transforming them into something uniquely visual and resonant.
I’m fascinated by how ideas shift across time, how interpretations evolve, and how art continues to challenge, comfort, or provoke us. What does art do for us—as makers and as viewers? That question sits at the heart of much of my work.
I’m the author of several books about discovering the joy of art, including Great Paintings Explained and How to Read Paintings.
I’m also a novelist and have a trilogy of books set in Berlin between 1928 and 1933. The Berlin Tales explore the Roaring Twenties and Thirties in all their heady and tumultuous glory, and are best known as mystery tales for their evocative style.
Writing, for me, is ultimately about understanding things beyond my immediate world. That’s what continues to drive my work and inspire my curiosity every day.
Expanding
I studied Mathematics and Philosophy at university, and later a Masters in the History of Art.
During these years, art and writing remained my two most active occupations. I made abstract paintings as my interest in creativity grew. And I wrote endlessly, filling countless notebooks on subjects like art, philosophy and fiction.
This brought my burgeoning interests in art and writing together. Now, I publish ideas about art, culture, travel and creativity, exploring the deeper layers of history. It is the timeless details that I share with readers.
I regularly publish new work about art and art history on Medium.
Travel
I have been lucky enough to enjoy many travels, including trips across Russia and Siberia, China, Morocco, Japan, Europe and the USA. These trips have sparked my interest in the wider art and architecture of more distant times and places.
Recently I’ve been to Sri Lanka, Mexico, and Costa Rico, immersing myself in their natural beauty. I also have a fondness for Greece and have visited many of the islands, whilst admiring the writings of Lawrence Durrell (Bitter Lemons and Prospero’s Cell) in the process.
Artwork
On some days I’m an artist, painting mainly in oils and watercolours.
Over the years I have come to cherish the works of Paul Klee, Suzanne Valadon, Jacques-Louis David, Peter Doig, George Grosz, Juan Gris, Félix Vallotton, Jannis Kounellis, Lotte Laserstein, Christian Schad, Fra Angelico, and Otto Dix, to name but a few influences.
The painting shown here is called “Swim”.
If you’d like a further glimpse, my other artwork can be seen here: http://chrisjonespaints.co.uk/