But is it Art? – Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton Township, Trenton, New Jersey

Initially, the world came to know Seward Johnson through his sculptural commentary on day-to-day life. He engages us through the hyper-realistic bronzes of this Celebrating the Familiar series, which act as a mirror for us all. The works echo our myriad tasks and activities, catching our eye and calling attention to small pleasures and encounters. If you look at the open page of the newspaper which the man is reading you will find a gently ironic comment on Johnson’s work: "But is it art?"

Johnson writes of his work: "My art is an imitation of life. [The sculptures] do many things; they can warm up … a park or public space and they invite people to come into that space, so that they don’t feel quite alone. They also make good neighbors – they don’t make a lot of noise. Realism has the capacity to reach everyone; there is no age barrier, no culture barrier. As the breadth of communication expands, so does the potency of a particular work."