Grounds For Sculpture

Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ is an absolute treat for art and nature lovers, and a fantastic spot for a solo stroll or a date on a nice afternoon. Situated on 35 acres with over 240 sculptures as well as a rotating series of exhibits, it captures a sense of magic and discovery that few eclipses that of even other well known and celebrated sculpture parks – full of hidden paths that culminate in beautiful surprises, it rewards exploration with discovery and you’re sure to leave with the sense that there is more to find on your next visit.

Grounds For Sculpture is the creation of sculptor John Seward Johnson II, who started construction in 1989 on the site of the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds and Trenton Speedway, which opened in 1900 and closed in 1980. Johnson had already had a studio onsite and the park was a natural extension of displaying his work, but when it opened in 1992, it showed that he also had a natural genius for incorporating sculptures into the landscape.

Born in Brunswick, New Jersey, not far from where the Grounds For Sculpture would be established, John Seward Johnson II (who went by Seward) was the grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I, one of the cofounders of Johnson & Johnson. Seward had even worked for the company early in his career until he was fired by his uncle, and later went on to serve in the Navy during the Korean War. He started painting but went on to become a prolific sculptor, known for his distinctive style of casting bronze sculptures of everyday people in ordinary activities. The statues were then painted in the trompe-l’œil style, which is somewhat amusing as the trompe-l’œil style was created to make two dimensional artworks appear three dimensional – which is what statues by their nature are.

Johnson was frequently the subject of controversy, as many of his sculptures recreated other famous artworks or photographs, including the well-known photograph of Marilyn Monroe standing on the sewer grate. Johnson’s series Beyond the Frame recreated impressionist paintings by artists like Manet, Rousseau, and Renoir as full sculptures. While he was accused of “copyright infringement” and his work was dismissed by critics, it was massively popular with visitors to the galleries in which it was displayed. It’s hard not to see why – there is something enchanting about stumbling across a scene you recognize from a well known painting as though it is occurring in real life, even moreso when it is tucked away in a forest in such a way that for a moment you might mistake it the statues for other patrons of Grounds for Sculpture. Johnson said this was his intent: “I want my work to disappear into the landscape and then take a viewer by surprise. After he gets over the shock of being fooled, it becomes an emotional discovery. Then he owns the sculpture. People often revisit their favorites. They become like friends.” There is a playfulness about Johnson’s work that feels less like plagiarism than a celebration, and the work that has gone into lovingly recreating scenes like Monet’s Woman With A Parasol is unmistakable. While I found many different works I enjoyed, Johnson’s were easily my favorites. To harumph at such a joyful expression of artistic admiration seems unforgivably stodgy and cantankerous.

Those who visit Grounds For Sculpture can make up their own minds, and there are plenty of sculptures by artists other than Johnson to discover as well. The park became a nonprofit in 2000 and welcomes guests every day of the week from March to November each year. Full price admission for adults is $20 and tickets can be bought on the Grounds For Sculpture website. Johnson passed away in March of 2020, but his legacy lives on through Grounds For Sculpture, his many works of art, and the Seward Johnson Atelier, which works to promote education, conservation, and preservation of sculptures.