Jonathan Cohen's photos with the keyword: Were You Invited

Seward Johnson is seen at his most ambitious in his tableau entitled "Were You Invited?" This is a take on Renoir’s lively 14-figure scene depicting "The Luncheon of the Boating Party." The sculptures are explicit in their texture and form. And, as with the other works in this series, the sculptor adds exploration of relationships within the boisterous crowd. Johnson hints at certain underlying imbroglios by showing a hand on a knee here, a touch beneath the table there. "At a party full of artists, there has to be something going on," says Johnson. Amid the bottles of champagne, wine and aperitifs are set bowls overflowing with fruit, and platters of French cheeses and foie gras. The characters are equally rich in sensuality and color, with embraces and secrets intermingling with the feast. Beyond the figures Renoir invited to the day’s events, Johnson has created an entire additional table of interlopers. These "crashers" are out of Renoir’s view but in the sculpture you discover them in full party spirit "drinking up all of Renoir’s wine," as Johnson notes. A sly segue is made by the sculptor using Renoir’s top hatted man who is turned away from the viewer. On close inspection it is New York City gallery director Phillip Bruno, who is turned facing a quartet of contemporary artists and brandishing a cane as if to drive them away. This group includes artist Seward Johnson and his friends and fellow sculptors Red Grooms, Bill Barrett and Andrew Pitynski. Surrounded by a table full of empty bottles, the foursome looks to be settled in for the duration with affectionate recognition toward the warning cane. The mood is one of exuberant celebration – perfectly in character with the personalities of the artists depicted.

Preston Metcalf, Chief Curator of the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California, points out that this painting tells a sad story of unrequited love. The train of longing starts with a man whose head is peeking out from behind another man to the right of the center of the painting. In following his gaze, it is clear he is looking at a woman who is looking at another man, looking at another woman. The train continues until the final woman can be seen looking at her pet dog. "Everybody is looking at their love and none of them are looking at each other," said Metcalf. "It’s a very sad painting about disassociation, about loneliness. … Everybody looks happy, but nobody is connected. These are symbols of love too aren’t they? Symbols of unrequited love. Sometimes the symbol is not an object. Sometimes the symbol is the position of the people. Sometimes the symbol is the story that the painting or sculpture tells and we have to be in tune with it. Don’t be afraid to look at a painting and read it the way you would a book and say it may not be spelled out but what are they really doing? Follow the lines. You’ll be surprised at how many stories you can unravel."

Preston Metcalf, Chief Curator of the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California, points out that this painting tells a sad story of unrequited love. The train of longing starts with a man whose head is peeking out from behind another man to the right of the center of the painting. In following his gaze, it is clear he is looking at a woman who is looking at another man, looking at another woman. The train continues until the final woman can be seen looking at her pet dog. "Everybody is looking at their love and none of them are looking at each other," said Metcalf. "It’s a very sad painting about disassociation, about loneliness. … Everybody looks happy, but nobody is connected. These are symbols of love too aren’t they? Symbols of unrequited love. Sometimes the symbol is not an object. Sometimes the symbol is the position of the people. Sometimes the symbol is the story that the painting or sculpture tells and we have to be in tune with it. Don’t be afraid to look at a painting and read it the way you would a book and say it may not be spelled out but what are they really doing? Follow the lines. You’ll be surprised at how many stories you can unravel."

Preston Metcalf, Chief Curator of the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California, points out that this painting tells a sad story of unrequited love. The train of longing starts with a man whose head is peeking out from behind another man to the right of the center of the painting. In following his gaze, it is clear he is looking at a woman who is looking at another man, looking at another woman. The train continues until the final woman can be seen looking at her pet dog. "Everybody is looking at their love and none of them are looking at each other," said Metcalf. "It’s a very sad painting about disassociation, about loneliness. … Everybody looks happy, but nobody is connected. These are symbols of love too aren’t they? Symbols of unrequited love. Sometimes the symbol is not an object. Sometimes the symbol is the position of the people. Sometimes the symbol is the story that the painting or sculpture tells and we have to be in tune with it. Don’t be afraid to look at a painting and read it the way you would a book and say it may not be spelled out but what are they really doing? Follow the lines. You’ll be surprised at how many stories you can unravel."

Seward Johnson’s "Were You Invited?" is inspired by French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s masterpiece, "Le déjeuner des canotiers" ("The Luncheon of the Boating Party"), painted in 1881. 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 fellow artists Bill Barrett, Red Grooms, and Andrzej 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 lifesized 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."