Exhibit#1 Dennis Quinn

The Grounds For Sculpture: October 6, 2009.
Original Painting: Boating Party: by Renoir.
Sculpture re-enactment: Were you Invited? : By J. Seward Johnson

J. Seward Johnson's “Were You Invited?” is based upon French Impressionist Pierre Auguste Renoir’s nineteenth-century masterpiece, The Luncheon of the Boating Party. In this specially designed and landscaped environment, viewers can actually step into the scene and mingle with the diners. In addition to the members of the Impressionist’s boating party are four figures seated around another table at the far end of the tableau. Joined in convivial conversation are realistic representations of sculptor Johnson himself with artists Bill Barrett, Red Grooms, and Andrew Pitynski. A dashing character in period costume brandishes his cane and addresses those at the table asking, “Were you invited?” Phillip Bruno, collector and art gallery director, posed for this gentleman keeping out the party crashers. Since 1994, Johnson has been creating life-sized three-dimensional works based on well-known paintings that, as Johnson has said, “allow an intimacy with the paintings that the paintings don’t allow themselves.” – (Courtesy of The Grounds For Sculptures’ website).

As you walk around the park you see an array of sculptures from many different styles that coordinate and decorate the tight spread of landscape. Within the park there are a few re-enactment sculpture scene: a few of Monet and this one of Renoirs Boating Party. If you know the painting before you enter the scene you will be amazed at how well the sculptures are placed to recreate the painting in real life. If you stand at the vantage point where Renoir supposedly stood to paint his picture, you will be amazed at how close the sculpture comes to the real thing. It is even more captivating to walk into the painting, as the 2-D painting now becomes life like and 3-D. If you look at the painting and the picture of the sculptures scene I have provided there are only a few differences. Everything to the canvas roof, which is still bronze casted is perfectly placed in a static manner. People are looking, standing and sitting in the same direction as the painting depicts as well as the placement of objects like the wine bottles and fruits. The color may vary from picture to picture so it is hard to say if the sculpture is off or not. The coolest part is the addition to the scene that the sculptor adds, which can only been seen through walking within the scene. The sculptor adds himself J. Seward Johnson and another Johnson Atelier legend Andrew Patynski into the background. They sit at a table, which is not seen in the painting. This is clever and adds it’s own artistic twist to the scene.
This sculpture scene that depicts Renoirs’ Boating party is absolutely astounding and completely succeeds in the artist intention, which was to re-create a 2-D painting into a 3-D bronze casted scene. This work delves into the issues social status, masculinity and femininity, modernism, impressionism and the good life of leisure. This is something you must see for your self. I recommend checking it out with the picture in your hand so you can see how close the artists came to the real picture that Renoir intended.