21st April 2021
Local painter Jon Jones has released four haunting limited-edition prints as part of Castle Fine Art’s Spring/Summer ’21 collection, taking inspiration from the BBC’s Peaky Blinders.
Mixing fictional scenes with his own historical research, Jones explores the themes which defined Birmingham throughout the era, from the late 19th century to the Prohibition years of the 1920s.
Like the smoky streets of Small Heath, where the gang ruled through violence and corruption, Jon’s works are cloaked in shadow. The contrast between light and dark – also known as chiaroscuro – was recreated using the giclée printing process, which involves spraying microscopic dots of pigment-based ink to closely emulate the incredible detail of the original painting. Following this, the works were hand-embellished with a special combination of varnishes and gels to give them texture and depth.
Jon Jones, Flanders Blues, hand-varnished boxed canvas, £575
Jon Jones, Tommy & Alfie First Meeting, £575, hand-varnished boxed canvas
I’ve Heard Bad, Bad, Bad Things About You Birmingham People, £425
As the proud home of BBC Birmingham since 2004, Peaky Blinders is close to our heart at Mailbox. The Brum-based period drama follows the lives and exploits of the notorious gangster family, led by Tommy Shelby. As well as filming many of its scenes nearby in the Black Country Living Museum, the show held the red-carpet premiere for its third season at the Mailbox’s very own Everyman Cinema in 2016, where crowds lined up along Canalside to see the stars of the show.
Discover the full collection by Jon Jones here.