The Awakening (Johnson sculpture)
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"The Awakening" is a 100-foot statue of a giant embedded in the earth, struggling to free himself. It was created by J. Seward Johnson, Jr. and installed at Hains Point (East Potomac Park), Washington, D.C. in 1980 for the International Sculpture Conference Exhibition. It proved so popular, however, that 25 years after the event it still remains, even though the National Park Service admits that the "temporary permit" has long since expired.
The statue consists of five separate pieces buried in the ground, giving the impression of a panicked giant trying to pull himself to the surface. The left hand and right foot barely protrude, while the bent left leg and knee jut into the air. The 17-foot right arm and hand climb above the observer while the bearded face, with the mouth in mid-scream, struggles to emerge from the surrounding earth.
The statue is located at the southern end of Hains Point just across the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. At times, the Potomac River floods the statue, adding to the eeriness as the giant tries to escape the drowning waters.
Periodically, there are rumors that the statue will be moved, the most recent being in 2001, when a "Peace Garden" was approved for development at the site.
[edit] Interesting facts
- The artist, Mr. Johnson, has veto authority over the statue's final location.
- In 2001, the piece was on sale for $600,000.
- It is located at Mile 18 of the Marine Corps Marathon course. Some think it fitting that the statue looks to be in agony.
- Is prominently mentioned in the book A Murder of Promise by Robert Andrews (ISBN 0-399-14832-9).
- According to Mr. Johnson, he "loves to anonymously loiter around his public sculptures and make negative remarks to fellow viewers of the art to see what the real response to his work is."
- Children (and the young at heart) love to use the giant's various body parts as a fantastical playground, complete with seat, climbing pole, tunnel, slide, and a big hole to hide in.
- The sculpture appears in one of the very early scenes in the 1995 film The Net.
- Reebok recently featured the sculpture in the background of an ad spread introducing their new running shoe.
