J. Steward Johnson, 'Lunchbreak'

Artist Info: J. Steward Johnson is a painter and sculptor born in New Jersey in 1930. In his early life he worked at the well-known company Johnson&Johnson, founded by his grandfather Robert Wood Johnson. He began focusing on his art career in 1962 when he was fired from his job at Johnson&Johnson by his uncle. His earliest artworks were paintings but he began to work almost entirely in sculpture by 1968. He has since become well known for his sculptures of every-day people. His works are largely public commissions and can be found in cities in the US, Canada, France, Italy and Hong Kong. He is recognized for the life-like poses and realistic-looking fabrics on his figures. To create his works, Johnson usually begins with a small clay sketch. He would then make a larger sculpture to form the mould. To create his realistic fabrics, Johnson would occasionally include real clothing items to shape the mould, thus creating the folds and textures in the final metal sculpture.

'Lunchbreak' was given to the City of Edmonton in 1983 as a gift by the Devonian Group of Charitable Foundations. The sculpture has remained a part of Churchill Square as the Square has developed from a grassy field to the concrete centre it is today. This is not the only 'Lunchbreak' sculpture to be created by Johnson. There are at least 3 other identical sculptures in the US. Interestingly, in doing some research on this sculpture I noticed that the lunch kit sitting on the bench occasionally changes. Sometimes he is only sitting with a lunch box while at other times he also has a thermos. I do not know if this was the intent of the artist or if the other items in the lunch kit have been stolen or damaged over time.


My Thoughts:
So far with this blog I have usually been trying to stay away from these figurative sculptures because I often find them too closely connected with monuments. Still, I know how beloved the 'Lunchbreak' sculpture is within the city so I wanted to include it in a feature on the blog. Johnson's sculptures have been criticized for being too kitsch and I definitely can agree with this statement. There is nothing challenging or thought-prevoking about this sculpture. Still, it is hard to dislike something that is so well recognized as a symbol of the city. Although the piece is 30 years old, I still often see people taking photos or posing with the figure. I also sometimes see it featured on the news or in advertisements about Edmonton. It has become one of the iconic symbols of the city and helps people to instantly recognize Churchill Square. Kitsch or not, I think it is definitely a key sculpture in Edmonton and will continue to live in the city centre for many years.

This will be the last blog posting for this year. Thank you joining me in 2013 as I wandered through Edmonton public art. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I'll see you in 2014!