Beyond the frame - J. Seward Johnson|Corcoran Gallery of Art

J. Seward Johnson Jr is best-known for his life-size and life-like cast-bronze sculptures of everyday people which inhabit parks and public spaces around the world. His sculpture of a man on a bench with an open briefcase was memorably photographed, surrounded by rubble, when it managed to survive the collapse of the World Trade Center. Now, he has turned his hand to something different - 3D re-creations of famous Impressionist paintings.;His life-size tableaux of Manet's "Olympia", Van Gogh's "Bedroom at Arles", Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party" and many others, invite viewers to walk straight into the middle of these hallowed scenes. The book illustrates the process Johnson uses to create his cast aluminium tableaux, which are designed to withstand tactile examination. Readers also get to see the finished works from various angles that reveal behind-the-scenes touches introduced by the artist. A pop-up of Manet's provocative "Dejeuner sur l'herbe" at the centre of the book echoes the playful spirit of the work itself.