It was a ballerina’s lunge that inspired the bronze sculpture at Haddon Avenue and Ellis Street. Fittingly titled “Ballerina,” she has graced the intersection since 2019.
“In New York, I saw a production of ‘Dance,’ and the lead dancer’s lunge stuck in my mind for years,” explains Barry Woods Johnston, who sculpted the piece in Italy in 1987 with an Olympic skater he was dating as his model.
The award-winning American artist says the lunge was metaphorical, representing his “lunge back” to the U.S. from Italy. Johnston – according to his website – is known for “capturing energized form and anatomy in motion with robust, gravity-defying figures.”
Residents have been gifted with sculptures adorning the borough’s public spaces since 2014, the result of a partnership between the Haddonfield Outdoor Sculpture Trust (HOST) and the town’s educational public/private partnership.
Haddonfield now has about 20 pieces downtown. The goal is to continue making the borough into a center for juried outdoor sculpture, notes the HOST website.
“Barry Woods Johnston’s sculptures are acclaimed for their vitality and vision, as well as their elegance and masterful rendering,” explains HOST founder and chair Stuart Harting. “It is movement captured in three-dimensional form …
“As you look at ‘Ballerina,’ enjoy its unmistakable quality and the narrative richness which defines art of enduring value.”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE HADDONFIELD OUTDOOR SCULPTURE TRUST
The 200-pound “Ballerina” sculpture at 5 foot 4 inches tall at a width of 6 foot 6 by 3 feet on a granite base. The Barry Woods Johnston piece was dedicated in 2019.
The 200-pound “Ballerina” stands at 5 foot 4 inches tall at a width of 6 foot 6 by 3 feet on a granite base. It was dedicated in 2019.
“This is the most beautiful sculpture in our collection,” Harting enthuses. “The public has reacted 100% positively to the ‘Ballerina.’”
Yet the piece might be moved to a different location in the near future.
“The ‘Ballerina’ is not as visible or approachable as we would like,” Harting points out, “so we are considering many locations … Stay tuned for which property we decide to move her to.”
Johnston dedicated himself to sculpture after earning a bachelor’s in architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1969, according to his website. He then studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the National Academy of Design and the Enzo Cardini and Romanelli Studios in Florence, Italy.
“Subjects are derived from religion, literature and contemporary dilemmas,” he observes.
Joseph Carolfi, a sculpture caster and mold maker who first met Johnston in the mid-’70s, notes the latter’s many talents, including architecture and concert piano.
“I have worked on many of Barry’s sculptures, mostly his lifesize pieces,” Carolfi shares. “I’m just a craftsman who works for him.”
Meanwhile, “Ballerina” will continue to be a focal point for community engagement no matter where it relocates in Haddonfield .
“Public art acts as an anchor that makes community spaces more inviting and engaging,” notes “The Impact of Public Sculptures and Statues: Enhancing Communities and Inspiring Creativity,” an article from Rethinking the Future.
“When thoughtfully designed and integrated into a location,” adds the global platform dedicated to architecture and design, “public art has the power to rejuvenate neighborhoods, spark conversation and enhance local pride and identity.”
For more information about Barry Wood Johnson, visit sculptorjohnston.com/.
For more information about the Haddonfield Outdoor Sculpture Trust, visit haddonfieldsculpture.org/.
