Page 21 - HIWT Spring 2013 World of Welding

hiwt@welding.org HOBART INSTITUTE OF WELDING TECHNOLOGY

SCUlpTURES ON THE SQUARE EXHIbIT plANNED FOR

2013

J. SEWARD JOHNSON’S “MAN ON THE STREET” STATUES RETURN TO TROy

If you have the opportunity to visit downtown Troy, Ohio this
summer, you are in for a treat! The biennial Sculptures on
the Square, that has attracted thousands to the beautiful and
historic city square, will bring back the exquisite work of J.
Seward Johnson. A similar collection from this artist was last
exhibited in Troy in 2005 and proved to be a crowd-pleaser.

“For the last 7 years, Troy residents and businesses have been
requesting the return of his work,” notes Karin Manovich,
director of Troy Main Street. “We were fortunate to secure an
exhibit of 20 sculptures this year.”

Seward Johnson is an American artist widely recognized for
his life-size statues, which are castings of living people of all
ages depicting them engaged in day-to-day activities. The
realism of the textures and details is the hallmark of Johnson’s
art, and this detailing is achieved with hours of intense labor.
Each sculpture is entirely bronze. Seward Johnson begins each
bronze with a 12-inch tall “sketch” in clay, and then enlarges
this to life scale in clay. Often delicate textures, such as the
skin, can be made more real with fabrics pressed into the clay
at this stage. Sometimes articles of clothing are stiffened with
a resin and used in the mold process, but there is no clothing Ambassador of the Streets, by Seward Johnson
on top of, or under the bronze, in the sculpture that you see. ©1993 The Sculpture Foundation, Inc. www.sculpturefoundation.org
Other times clay clothing is sculpted onto the figure by the
artist using wooden and metal tools with very fine points and
edges. As the figures are sawed into many parts for the casting 26 fiberglass WACO biplane replicas, 22 sculptures created
process, there are dozens of roughly welded areas when the by local and regional artists in wood, metal, fiberglass, and
parts are reassembled in bronze. At this stage, the artist must recycled materials, and Doors that were decorated in a variety
replace many of the fine textures; corduroy, tweed, a cable knit of methods and medium by local artists.
sweater pattern, with an electric tool that is much like a fine
dentist’s drill. This is the most time consuming part of creating Art appreciation is evident in the numerous permanent
these bronzes. It takes between one and two years to create installations throughout the city including a large bronze
one sculpture. Unity of Man fountain by artist George Tsutakawa that graces
the front of the Hobart Institute building and Welder Bob by
Personally, Seward Johnson is a charming and philosophical Gregory Johnson that welcomes visitors at the door. Others
man, with a tendency toward irreverent wit. He loves to in the Hobart Urban Nature Preserve on South Dorset Road
anonymously loiter around his public sculptures and make feature Weldicon by Pino Spagnulo, Eclipse by Aka Pereyma,
negative remarks to fellow viewers of the art to see what the Split II by Charles Ginnever, and Trinity by Mike McConnell.
real response to his work is! He loves to get into the position
of having the stranger unwittingly defend the sculpture to this The exhibit is on loan from the Sculpture Foundation, Inc.
“hostile” art critic. and is made possible by a grant from the general fund of
The Troy Foundation with support from area corporations
From May 3 through August 30, Sculptures on the Square and individuals. Sculptures on the Square is presented in

will attract crowds from throughout Ohio and the Midwest. partnership with Troy Main Street and the City of Troy.
Past exhibits have included unique and creative talents of Visitors will be able to browse all the sculptures within easy
local artisans and community groups in the presentation of walking distance and enjoy destinations around the downtown.

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