Grounds For Sculpture is a 42 acre sculpture park founded in 1992 by the artist J. Seward Johnson. Despite being a mere 1-hour 20-minute train ride (plus 5-minute cab ride*) from New York's Penn station via NJ transit not a single one of my NY or NJ born friends knew it existed before I told them about it. Score one for me. I learned of it from a former co-worker who lives in nearby Princeton Junction and it's definitely worth a visit if sculpture is your thing. I'll let the (many) photos speak for themselves, although sadly I don't know the artist for most of the pieces.
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| The people in the background of this sculpture make it look like the park was crazy busy, but it wasn't at all, it was a very mellow place to hang out, this was just close to the entrance before everyone went their own way. |
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| I love this couple, they are not perfect, but they seem smitten to me!! |
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| A shady grove |
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| The first of many J. Seward Johnson pieces, this one called "The Daydream" inspired by Matisse's "The Dance". When I first came across this piece I thought it was a real person lying on the ground admiring the nudes. Duh!! |
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| I love the poppies around this piece |
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| This one reminds me of one of Renoir's bathers, although I am not sure of the inspiration. The pieces were numbered and we didn't have a pamphlet with the relevant info, but I'm assuming this is another work by J. Seward Johnson. |
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| Ooooh shade!! It was blisteringly hot today. |
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| Somewhat phallic no?? Or is it just me? |
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| We followed a path labelled 'Forest Of The Subconscious" and came across this glass box of babies!! |
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| Creepy babies!! What is that giant baby doing to that poor armless woman? Kids!! |
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| More J. Seward Johnson |
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| The view approaching Rats restaurant. Stunning, but why oh why would you name a restaurant Rats? It supposed to be a good restaurant, but it was closed today so we didn't get to sample their fare, but...Rats???? |
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| I don't know what she's smoking, but she looks very zen!! |
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| Another J. Seward Johnson piece. This one is called 'Pondering The Benefits Of Exercise" |
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| Stick 'em up!! |
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| I'm not sure what's going on here, but I like it!! |
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| A piece from True or False by Houston based artist Sharon Engelstein |
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| This was one of my faves!! |
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| A real peacock - not a J. Seward Johnson piece |
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| The car in the previous photo and this chandelier are made out of... |
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| ...plastic water bottles. The pieces are by NJ based artist, Willie Cole |
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| I love this piece and the white one below by Willie Cole, they are made of SHOES!!!! Amazing!! |
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| Marilyn Keating in the upstairs area of the gallery |
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| Walking back to the train station - it's a long way, don't walk - we passed this American Gothic inspired piece by J. Seward Johnson... |
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| ...and these Renoir inspired dancers |
*The brevity of this $12 cab ride may lead you to believe that you can walk back to the Hamilton train station no probs. It's further than you think. Believe me, I made this mistake today, it was much further than I thought and I walk 5-miles to work every day, walking is my thing!!
3 comments:
WOW...interesting sculptures. Not sure I liked the metals, though...but there are so many interesting things. I also think the babies are creepy. Sheeshhhh...reminds me of an episode of an evil dolly in Friday the 13th TV series. Yikes!
The woman in the umbrella with the poppy field reminds me of one of Monet's paintings (which I LOVE!).
And I'm shocked to know that the figure below the nude dancers is a sculpture. He looked SO REAL!!! *gasp*
The chandelier is GORGEOUS!!!! Wouldn't have imagined that they were made of plastic bottles he he...
THANKS for the grand tour and the pics! :-D Hard to say which one is my fave...perhaps the one with the lady bathing in the "river" with a boat nearby.
Hi Amel, glad you liked the photos. I think you might be right about the woman with the umbrella, she may well be Monet inspired. I definitely recognize the style from somewhere, but my brain went to Renoir.
I was pretty close up to the nudes before I realized it wasn't someone having a bit of fun ;-)
hm...I dunno. This is not my thing!
I'd prefer to have more wilderness and paths to walk thru the wilderness, not perfect lawns and huge sculptures that I can't relate to.
glad you had a good time though. It looked like a nice day for it?
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