Walking Through Downtown Spring Lake, NJ - [The Sculptures of John Seward Johnson II]

While eating lunch at Nagle's Apothecary Cafe (actually, we ordered breakfast) this past New Year's Eve, my wife and I were chatting about what else we might do at the Jersey Shore during the remainder of that cold, sunny, last afternoon of 2016.

Truth be told, I'm pretty lazy when it comes to planning activities in advance and, if it weren't for my wife well, you get the idea ...

My wife checks the web and sees that the nearby beach town of Spring Lake is currently hosting an outdoor exhibit to showcase a dozen or so life-size sculptures by world-renowned artist John Seward Johnson II.

I knew his name because we've been to Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ and he is the philanthropist credited with the founding vision for Grounds For Sculpture. The Seward Johnson Center for the Arts building is the main reception space at Grounds for Sculpture.

Here's a bio of John Seward Johnson II, courtesy of his Grounds for Sculpture artist page:

Seward Johnson was born in New Jersey in 1930 and subsequently lived in London, Paris, and Bermuda. He graduated from the college preparatory Forman School in Litchfield, Connecticut before attending the University of Maine. Enlisting in the Navy, Johnson spent four years aboard the U.S.S. Gloucester, the only ship hit by enemy fire during the Korean War. Johnson settled in New Jersey to raise a family with his wife and now spends his time in New York City, Nantucket and Key West. Johnson's earliest artistic efforts were in painting but as his aesthetic developed, he gravitated more toward sculpture. Having no formal training beyond a series of classes in Cambridge, MA, his first cast work of sculpture won the Award in Steel Art competition which included 7,000 entries. Now famous worldwide for his life-size bronze figurative sculptures, Seward Johnson's works are exhibited internationally and are included in private collections, museums, and public art collections too numerous to mention.

So, after lunch breakfast, we headed over to the Spring Lake Public Library which is where the self-guided tour begins. The remainder of the exhibits are scattered along the downtown business district (i.e. 3rd Avenue, between Madison and Passaic Avenues).

Below are the images I captured as we wandered up and down 3rd Avenue on a scavenger hunt looking for the sculptures.

For each of these sculptures, I'll provide, verbatim, the description from the Spring Lake website.

CAVAET: I must confess that I somehow missed seeing and photographing the Seward Johnson sculpture entitled God Bless America which brings to 3D the famous American painting by Grant Wood entitled American Gothic.

No, Mommy, That One.
A mother reading to her child can be a saccharine scene, and Seward Johnson wanted to show this wriggling toddler to bring reality into the pose. He is sharing that such scenes are not always a Hallmark card moment by bringing forward the insistence of the child, and his individual wishes. No, Mommy, That One by Seward Johnson ©1992 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. www.sewardjohnsonatelier.org

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Holding Out
Johnson’s lady with her groceries is a clear favorite from the Celebrating the Familiar series. The incredible detail of her face, hands (note the wrinkles) and the bounty in her bags, make her one of the sculptures that can be examined for details over many visits. Holding Out by Seward Johnson ©1987 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. www.sewardjohnsonatelier.org

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Oops!
Among the many Seward Johnson sculptures that speak to those who accomplish a variety of tasks, this piece has a comedic aspect. Gardeners, painters, brick layers and window washers all appear in Johnson’s lexicon – but this fellow has experienced a bad piece of luck when his paint can overturns. The “fool the eye” aspect of the spilled paint was irresistible to the sculptor – and people do try to pick up the bucket to help “clean up.” Oops! by Seward Johnson ©1994 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. www.sewardjohnsonatelier.org

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Time’s Up
For this piece, Seward Johnson invited an actual policeman to his studio to pose. The sculptor asked the officer what face he would make if he had to write a ticket and Johnson said “FREEZE! RIGHT THERE!” The result is the grimacing face you see represented in the sculpture. Take note of the text on the ticket he is writing! (To Mr. Seward Johnson for insulting an officer.) Time’s Up by Seward Johnson ©1983 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. www.sewardjohnsonatelier.org

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Contact
This couple is evidently parting – note the suitcase – and Johnson wished to convey that particular feeling of yearning when two lovers part to go their separate ways. Contact by Seward Johnson ©1987 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. www.sewardjohnsonatelier.org

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Attic Trophy
Seward Johnson, the sculptor, says: “I think that becoming a father has profoundly affected my work. It has softened me and made me more aware of the innermost parts of people”. The Johnsons have both a son and a daughter. Attic Trophy by Seward Johnson ©1992 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. www.sewardjohnsonatelier.org

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Holier Than Thou
Sometimes Johnson’s pieces function as models, or “sign posts” for recommendations such as sitting on a park bench reading a good book, or taking a nap. In this case, it takes the recommendation a step further and features a persnickety-looking man taking the responsibility for some litter. Holier Than Thou by Seward Johnson ©1984 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. www.sewardjohnsonatelier.org

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Monet, Our Visiting Artist
A painter all his life, Seward Johnson began sculpting in 1968. Since then he has gained international renown for his highly realistic, life-sized bronze figures depicting day-to-day life situations and activities. Sometimes these works even provoke a double take and a momentary fool of the eye.The work titled “Monet, Our Visiting Artist” depicts a sculpted full figure portrait of the beloved painter Claude Monet (1840-1926), and was originally created as an homage to Monet painting “Terrace at Sainte-Adressee.” The bronze figure has since been shown “painting” other Monet inspired sculptures as a playful “art imitating art imitating life” scenario, and when on exhibition, Monet is usually painting a familiar local scene before him. Monet, Our Visiting Artist by Seward Johnson ©2004 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. www.sewardjohnsonatelier.org

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Things to Do
This woman on a bench takes her list writing out into the sunshine to make the task more pleasant. You get a hint about her life by reading what her “to dos” are. Things to Do by Seward Johnson ©1992 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. www.sewardjohnsonatelier.org

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Sightseeing
As Seward Johnson’s works so often are the subject of photographers’, here the artist turns the tables and points the camera at his viewers. Note how camera technology has shifted since this sculpture was created. Sightseeing by Seward Johnson ©1987 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. www.sewardjohnsonatelier.org

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Far Out
This young man is in a state of contemplation – caught at a moment of near trance as his thoughts wander. Far Out by Seward Johnson ©1979 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. www.sewardjohnsonatelier.org

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Hot Weather
This boy epitomizes the summer day – ice cream dripping, having just jumped off his bike (note the pant leg tucked up to avoid the bike chain). What could be better? Hot Weather by Seward Johnson ©1981 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. www.sewardjohnsonatelier.org

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Out of Sight
These two boys – perhaps brothers – take an afternoon to hoist a kite in the air. That they both look up to the sky speaks to anticipation of what’s to come (with luck, skill and the right winds!) Out of Sight by Seward Johnson ©1991 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. www.sewardjohnsonatelier.org

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All images @cognoscere (except as noted below) and taken on December 31, 2016 in downtown Spring Lake, New Jersey (Sony RX100 V)

• Source: Lazy Cow
• Source: Seward's God Bless America