Doug Jones

Doug Jones's abandoned parachute, IN UTRUMQUE PARATUS ('ready, come what may' in latin), feels as though it is moving towards you as you walk up to it. Still energized with forces of flight; it flips the horizontal space of the floor vertically to disorientate us. It is as though the artist, who delivered the piece on foot and ready to use, has just landed in the space. The fabric is humorously adorned with 'willow pattern' decoration, which is traditionally used on fine Chinese plates and is incongruous with this functional apparatus, which falls to the ground in military action.In the vicinity of Heathrow airport, Jones's piece refers to the history of aviation; such as Da Vinci's famous parachute and Chinese war kites, thereby restoring the adventure and romance of flight amidst the grey concrete of Heathrow's suburbs. (Louise Ashcroft, 2009)