ABOUT THE ARTIST

 JAMES T. MASON

(b.1937)

       The idea of a topiary park in the form of Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte was the brainchild of Columbus, Ohio, artist James T. Mason. Mason conceived and designed the project, welded and installed the bronze armatures for the plants, and supervised landscaping and construction aspects of the park. Many people have been and continue to be involved in the realization and maintenance of the overall plan, making this not only Mason's first topiary project, but also the most collaborative and large-scale work of art he has ever made.

 Mason has described his own work as "folk-derivative," and indeed many of his smaller-scale sculptures reflect the artist's attraction to folk art dolls, decoys, and weathervanes. His preferred media are cast bronze, welded steel and carved wood and stone. Frequently an imaginative, good-natured wit and whimsy may characterize his works. Mason's sculptures are in private and business art collections throughout the country, from New York to Los Angeles, including McDonald's Corporate Offices in the U.S.A. and Canada. His work has been exhibited in one-man and group shows across Ohio, and has often been the subject of newspaper art critics' reviews. Mason is represented in Chicago by the Ruth Volid Gallery, and in Columbus by Gallery 200.

 James Mason studied architectural engineering before focusing his attention on fine art. While completing his degree program at the Columbus College of Art and Design, he began work as a sculpture and graphics instructor for the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department. He has been a sculptor-in-residence, sculpture instructor, and curator at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center for more than a decade. Students at the Cultural Arts Center not only benefit from his teaching but also by being able to observe his work in progress at Mason's studio located on the premises.