Seward Johnson (John Seward Johnson II) (1930), is an American artist known for his trompe l'oeil painted bronze statues. He creates life-size bronze statues, which are castings of living people, depicting them engaged in day-to-day activities. A large staff of technicians perform the fabrication. He is founder of Grounds for Sculpture.
Following an early career as a painter, Seward Johnson turned his talents to the medium of sculpture. Since then, more than 450 of Johnson’s life-size cast bronze figures have been featured in private collections and museums in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia, as well as prominent places in the public realm such as Times Square and Rockefeller Center in New York City, Pacific Place of Hong Kong, Les Halles in Paris, and Via Condotti in Rome. Seward Johnson initially became widely known for his sculptures depicting people engaged in every day activities.
The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. introduced Johnson’s Impressionist-inspired series entitled Beyond the Frame with a spectacular solo museum exhibition. This body of work, consisting of elaborate tableaux that allow viewers to walk into the scenes of familiar Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, went on to New York’s Nassau County Museum, Jacksonville Florida’s Cummer Museum of Art, and the Museum of Art & History at the Custom House in Key West. The show is continuing to tour museums throughout the U.S.
Seward Johnson’s most recent series, Icons Revisited, asks provocative questions concerning our society’s embrace of particular visual icons, and their impact and shift of message over time. Concurrent to this third body of work, Johnson has begun to enlarge a select few sculptures into monumental scale for placement in the public domain. To date these twenty to thirty foot tall presences have been on view.
Johnson is often recognized for his most dramatic work The Awakening, a giant aluminum sculpture, which sprawls in breadth, across an expanse of seventy feet. It has become a “must see” destination in the nation’s capital.
“Perhaps Seward Johnson is most renowned for Embracing Peace (formerly titled Unconditional Surrender), his iconic “kiss” sculpture, which depicts the moment in Times Square when the sailor and nurse spontaneously rejoiced in celebration at the conclusion of World War II.
Seward Johnson’s impact on the world of sculpture has not been limited to his personal artwork, and includes the founding of The Johnson Atelier and the founding of the spectacular Grounds For Sculpture. Inducted in 2014 into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, the artist regularly adds works to all of his series, and invents intriguing new chapters of his oeuvre. At 85, Seward Johnson continues to create increasingly memorable works for the public realm.
© 2018. All images are copyrighted © by Seward Johnson. The use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained.
Following an early career as a painter, Seward Johnson turned his talents to the medium of sculpture. Since then, more than 450 of Johnson’s life-size cast bronze figures have been featured in private collections and museums in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia, as well as prominent places in the public realm such as Times Square and Rockefeller Center in New York City, Pacific Place of Hong Kong, Les Halles in Paris, and Via Condotti in Rome. Seward Johnson initially became widely known for his sculptures depicting people engaged in every day activities.
The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. introduced Johnson’s Impressionist-inspired series entitled Beyond the Frame with a spectacular solo museum exhibition. This body of work, consisting of elaborate tableaux that allow viewers to walk into the scenes of familiar Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, went on to New York’s Nassau County Museum, Jacksonville Florida’s Cummer Museum of Art, and the Museum of Art & History at the Custom House in Key West. The show is continuing to tour museums throughout the U.S.
Seward Johnson’s most recent series, Icons Revisited, asks provocative questions concerning our society’s embrace of particular visual icons, and their impact and shift of message over time. Concurrent to this third body of work, Johnson has begun to enlarge a select few sculptures into monumental scale for placement in the public domain. To date these twenty to thirty foot tall presences have been on view.
Johnson is often recognized for his most dramatic work The Awakening, a giant aluminum sculpture, which sprawls in breadth, across an expanse of seventy feet. It has become a “must see” destination in the nation’s capital.
“Perhaps Seward Johnson is most renowned for Embracing Peace (formerly titled Unconditional Surrender), his iconic “kiss” sculpture, which depicts the moment in Times Square when the sailor and nurse spontaneously rejoiced in celebration at the conclusion of World War II.
Seward Johnson’s impact on the world of sculpture has not been limited to his personal artwork, and includes the founding of The Johnson Atelier and the founding of the spectacular Grounds For Sculpture. Inducted in 2014 into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, the artist regularly adds works to all of his series, and invents intriguing new chapters of his oeuvre. At 85, Seward Johnson continues to create increasingly memorable works for the public realm.
© 2018. All images are copyrighted © by Seward Johnson. The use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained.
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| Mr Seward Johnson |
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| Unconditional Surrender, Saratosa, Fl |
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| Unconditional Surrender |
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| Forever, Marilyn Monroe |
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| Forever, Marilyn Monroe, detail |
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| Pondering the Benefits of Excercise, Inspired by Renoir: Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise |
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| Pondering the Benefits of Excercise, detail |
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| Renoir: Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise |
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| Family secret, Inspired by Renoir: Family secret |
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| Family secret, detail |
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| Family secret by Renoir |
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| Eye of the beholder, inspired by Manet: Chez le père Lathuille |
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| Eye of the beholder, detail |
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| Manet: Chez le père Lathuille |
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| God bless America, inspired by Grant Wood, American Dothic |
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| God bless America, detail |
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| La promenade, inspired by Cailebotte: La promenade |
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| La promenade, detail |
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| La promenade by Cailebotte |
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| Lap of choice, Inspired by Cassatt: Young girl at a window |
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| Lap of choice, detail |
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| Young girl at a window by the impressionist Cassatt |
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| A Thought to Consider, inspired by Manet: In the conservatory |
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| Manet: In the conservatory |
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| Confrontational vulnerability |
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| Confrontational vulnerability, fabrication |
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| Dejeuner deja vu, inspired by Manet, Le déjeuner sur l'herbe |
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| Dejeuner deja vu, detail |
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| Manet, Le déjeuner sur l'herbe |
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| On Poppied Hill, Inspired by Monet: Woman with parasol |
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| Monet: Woman with parasol |
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| Erotica tropicalis, Inspired by Rousseau: The dream |
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| Erotica tropicalis, detail |
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| Rousseau: The dream |
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| A turn of the century, inspired by Renoir |
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| A turn of the century, fabrication |
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| The Power of Suggestion |
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| The Power of Suggestion, detail |
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| My Sixteen Year Old Jazz Dreams |
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| My Sixteen Year Old Jazz Dreams, detail |
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| Double Check |
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| Allow me |
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| Allow me, detail |
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| Designated coachman, Inspired by Van Gogh: Tarascon stage coach |
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| Van Gogh: Tarascon stage coach |
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| The three fates |
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| The three fates, detail |
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| Waiting |
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| Time for fun, Inspired by Renoir |
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| The nature of obsession, inspired by Vermeer: Girl with a pearl earring |
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| Stainless girl |
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| A reason to smile, Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci: Mona Lisa |
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| A Day Off |
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| Big sister |
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| Can Do Rosie salute |
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| Crack the whip |
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| Crossing Paths |
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| The awakening the giant |
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| There My Little Pretties |
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| Return visit Lincoln |
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| Kirk Douglas |
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