The Great American Sculptor - Capturing the Spirit (4 of 4)

http://www.current.tv/watch/21547041

Part 4 - With beautiful Stone Mountain, Georgia as a backdrop, Keith Johnson describes the psyche and personality of the sculptor who wants to see art in the largest scale possible. He then discusses the works of his mentor Daniel Chester French a native of Exeter, New Hampshire, the town next to Straham where Keith lived for many years.

Keith Johnson is a leader of a new generation of realistic sculptors. He follows in the tradition of his mentors, master sculptors, Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907) and Daniel Chester French (1850-1931).

These sculptors created images that matched the nation's sense of strength and confidence. Saint-Gauden's sculptures memorialized the leaders of his era - from President Lincoln to author Robert Lewis Stevenson. His work captured the individual while it conveyed the timeless, mythical quality of the hero. Daniel Chester French built his career as the preeminent monumental sculptor in America. Infusing the neo-classical tradition of statuary with a penetrating new realism and lively animation, he created dramatic compositions in marble and bronze.

With the inspiration of these Masters as his guiding force, Johnson is the only American sculptor in history to create a collection of six life-size U.S. Presidents. His Presidential sculptures display a perfect sense of the artist's ability to capture the spirit and the likeness of his subjects in heroic proportion. His innate visual abilities guide him in the creative process as he seeks the highest and most compelling interpretation for his subjects.

In April of 1999, Johnson began the series of life-size Presidential sculptures. His first subject was a work of President Ronald Reagan. He has gone on to complete life-size portraits of George H.W. Bush, John F. Kennedy, Harry S. Truman, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and George W. Bush. Johnson's Presidential portraits have been heralded by early patrons as the most life-like portraits of the Presidents ever created. His sculpture of Ronald Reagan has been accepted to the permanent collection at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Johnson's earlier figurative works of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan are part of the permanent collection at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Johnson's life size portrait bust of John F. Kennedy is on permanent display at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. With numerous private commissions to his credit, Johnson continues to build a loyal following of patrons across America. His sports sculptures have been on display at the original Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, The New England Sports Museum in Cambridge Massachusetts and Capelli International Salon & Gallery on Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay.

Johnson's vision for his future work is bold and ambitious. His most recent works of Henry Morrison Flagler, the powerful visionary who developed the east coast of Florida, include a life size portrait bust, and the Henry M. Flagler Monument. In progress now is the portrait bust of Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson and The Tiger Woods Monument. Johnson's work is a timeless art form that requires perfect precision and a keen sense of perception. Johnson possesses these attributes in abundance. When you look into the faces of his portraits, you are immediately captivated by the striking details, only to be struck again by the "living spirit" he so remarkably portrays.

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• Reagan
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• Georgia

[dougnorb]

Thanks Keith

Interesting commentary. I am curious what clay you use to do modeling. I too enjoy sculpting, but I am self taught, and I do not think I have the right clay yet.

Any help is appreciated.

[rjmbase]

A great view of sculptures and their importance to remembering from whence we came as a nation. Nice job!