Statue's creation out of the ordinary

By LENNIE BENNETT

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 13, 2000

The Sunshine Offer sculpture that soon will be installed in front of the St. Petersburg Museum of History is the creation of J. Seward Johnson Jr. The artist's highly realistic bronze sculptures are collected by corporations, cities and individuals worldwide. They usually depict people caught in a moment and encourage the viewer to interact with the figures.

He only creates about five sculptures a year, said his spokeswoman, Paula Stoeke, and rarely accepts a commission for a specific work.

He agreed to do the Sunshine Offer in 1989, Stoeke said, after Bob Pfeiffer visited the studio and "we kind of fell in love with him, his enthusiasm, and dedication to the newspaper and his town." She said Johnson also liked the fact that it would be in a public place where a lot of people could enjoy it. His fee of $110,000 was low, she said, and his pieces often sell for up to $300,000.

Bronze sculpting using the lost-wax process of casting is time-consuming, expensive and difficult. Johnson creates a small clay model that is translated into a full-size clay form molded over a metal armature for support. It is converted to plaster, from which rubber molds are made, and then to wax. The wax forms are dipped into silica solution, which hardens. The wax is then burned out, leaving ceramic shells. Molten bronze is poured into the forms.

The Sunshine Offer, which Johnson has named Get the News! actually is several sculptures: the bench, the stack of newspapers and the young boy. The boy alone weighs about 300 pounds. All will be bolted into place.

Of the change in design, Stoeke said: "The process for a committee is lengthy and things change over time. The turnaround in the aesthetic was dramatic, but the aim was always the same, to honor St. Petersburg and the Sunshine Offer."

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