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!

Inges Idee, 'Running Track'

Artist Info: This bright red sculpture is a creation from the artist collective Inges Idee. The piece was a Percent for Art commission for the new Terwillegar Rec centre and was installed in 2010. Inges Idee is a group based out of Berlin consisting of four artists - Hans Hemmert, Axel Lieber, Thomas A. Schmidt and Georg Zey. Each member of the group has his own art practice but they also work as a team to create public works of art. The artists mention that they like creating work for public spaces because it is constantly evolving as the neighbourhoods develop over time. They prefer these works in public spaces to the white cube of museums because they can become a part of the community and grow with the city itself. 

'Running Track' is a huge foam sculpture measuring 5 metres high and 8 metres long. The work was created by Inges Idee in Calgary and shipped to Edmonton in two pieces. The work is coated with a strong, polyurethane paint. Not surprisingly, running track is supposed to represent two running legs. The artists took a sculpture of a running figure and broke the movements down into a more abstract essence of movement to create this piece. The piece is supposed to reflect the activities within the rec centre as well as the colour palate of the building.

My Thoughts: I am embarrassed to say how long it took me to figure out that these were legs! It was only until I saw a front view of this sculpture and it looked like a runner at the starting line that I realised the connection. I think the piece is fun and quirky and a nice accent to the Terwillegar community. I think the very contemporary shape of the piece accents the new-looking building well. Also, the colour and size of the piece make it an easy landmark to spot when you are trying to find the rec centre.