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A collection of watercolour circles in muted tones of peach, grey and beige. The circles vary in size and overlap in a loose, central cluster against a plain white background.

Art: Kelly Kristin Jones' collages remap representation in women's magazines

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Date
29 July 2013

Now it’s not what you think, nobody has thrown their hole-punch from their desk in a fit of stationery-centred pique; Kelly Kristin Jones’ circular collage studies are far more interesting than that. Her new project Skinned takes a look at the distribution and representation of various skin tones and colours in print media. By cutting a circle from each skin tone featured in both the adverts and content of popular women’s magazines – with the size of the circle to corresponding to the size of the body or body part featured – Kelly remaps the way the media views race and skin colour. The intriguing collages which result from this experiment offer a new perspective on the representation of who is included and what is beautiful in popular media, setting a match to the quietly smouldering debate about racial prejudice and inclusivity with a series of curiously beautiful images.

A cluster of circular confetti pieces in shades of gold, white and silver. The dots are scattered in a loose pile against a plain white background.
Above

Kelly Kristin Jones: Skinned, Vogue July 2013

A cluster of circular confetti pieces in muted gold, silver, and pale pastel tones. The discs overlap in a loose pile against a plain white background.
Above

Kelly Kristin Jones: Skinned, Vogue July 2013 (detail)

A cluster of small, circular discs in shades of copper, gold and silver. They are scattered across a plain white background.
Above

Kelly Kristin Jones: Skinned, Vanity Fair July 2013

A collection of watercolour circles in varying sizes and muted tones. The dots are scattered across a white background in shades of brown, beige, grey and soft purple.
Above

Kelly Kristin Jones: Skinned, Vanity Fair July 2013 (detail)

A cluster of metallic confetti circles in rose gold, silver and black. The sequins are scattered in a loose pile against a plain white background.
Above

Kelly Kristin Jones: Skinned, Town and Country, July 2013

A collection of overlapping circles in muted tones of beige, grey, and blue on a white background. A single black circle sits near the centre of the composition.
Above

Kelly Kristin Jones: Skinned, Town and Country, July 2013 (detail)

A cluster of shimmering rose gold and silver confetti circles floats against a plain white background. The metallic discs vary in size and overlap in a loose, horizontal arrangement.
Above

Kelly Kristin Jones: Skinned, Glamour, July 2013

A collection of overlapping circles in shades of rose gold, peach and silver. The circles vary in size and are scattered across a plain white background.
Above

Kelly Kristin Jones: Skinned, Glamour, July 2013 (detail)

A cluster of overlapping paper circles in muted tones of peach, cream, grey and gold. The circles vary in size and are scattered across a plain white background.
Above

Kelly Kristin Jones: Skinned, Seventeen, July 2013

A collection of watercolour circles in muted tones of peach, grey and beige. The circles vary in size and overlap in a loose, central cluster against a plain white background.
Above

Kelly Kristin Jones: Skinned, Seventeen, July 2013 (detail)

A cluster of metallic confetti circles in copper, silver and gold tones. The pieces are scattered across a plain white background.
Above

Kelly Kristin Jones: Skinned, Ebony, July 2013

A scattering of metallic confetti circles in shades of copper, gold and silver. The discs vary in size and are spread across a plain white background.
Above

Kelly Kristin Jones: Skinned, Ebony, July 2013 (detail)

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About the Author

Maisie Skidmore

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Maisie joined It’s Nice That fresh out of university in the summer of 2013 as an intern before joining full time as an Assistant Editor. Maisie left It’s Nice That in July 2015.

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