John Safer

John H. Safer
Born	(1922-09-06) 6 September 1922 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	7 December 2018(2018-12-07) (aged 96)
Occupation(s)	Artist, sculptor, television producer, real estate developer, banker, political figure
Known for	Large-scale sculptures; commemorative awards for National Air and Space Museum, PGA Tour, Georgetown University Lombardi Cancer Center, World Peace Foundation, Shakespeare Guild

John H. Safer (September 6, 1922 – December 7, 2018) was an American artist renowned for his sculptural works, whose professional endeavors also spanned theater lighting, television production, real estate development, political involvement, and banking.

While Safer gained prominence for his large-scale sculptures, he also produced smaller pieces, including commemorative awards crafted for institutions such as the National Air and Space Museum, the PGA Tour, the Georgetown University Lombardi Cancer Center, the World Peace Foundation, and the Shakespeare Guild.

His artworks are exhibited in museums, galleries, and diplomatic missions across the globe. The U.S. Department of State showcased Safer's sculptures internationally in both 1972 and 1989 as representative examples of American artistry. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 96.

Sculpture

During the 1950s and 1960s, Safer concentrated on creating small-scale sculptures primarily using Lucite. Over time, he transitioned to working with bronze and stainless steel, producing increasingly larger installations. His inaugural public commission, Judgment (1979), is a multi-ton patinated bronze piece displayed at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Following this, Safer undertook progressively grander projects: Interplay (1987) measures ; Leading Edge (1989) rises to ; and his hallmark sculpture Ascent, located at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport, reaches .

Safer sought to distill "the essence and reduce the subject to the pure line in space," reflecting Aristotle's philosophical notion regarding the fundamental nature of sculpture.

Early life

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., John Safer was the sole offspring of John and Rebecca Herzmark Safer. His father, a Georgetown University Law School alumnus and practicing attorney, managed a moving and storage enterprise. His mother was known as an intellectual and active social advocate. By age four, Safer had mastered reading and writing and commenced first grade at the Maret French School.

A gifted learner fluent in French, he entered high school at eleven years old and completed it by fourteen. Although encouraged to attend Harvard University, Safer intentionally failed its entrance exam, choosing instead to enroll at Woodward Prep School where he developed a strong interest in sports—an influence that later permeated both his artistic expression and personal life.

At sixteen, he matriculated at George Washington University, pursuing a degree in economics. During this time, he worked closely with Professor Edward Acheson—brother of former United States Secretary of State Dean Acheson—who became an important mentor. With the outbreak of World War II, Safer joined the United States Air Force as a flying cadet.

He attained the rank of first lieutenant while serving in theaters across India, Burma, and China. Post-war, during an extended military assignment in Europe, he took advantage of opportunities to visit renowned art institutions such as the Louvre, the Tate, and the Parthenon. Prior to his reassignment to Athens, he famously "borrowed" a jeep to visit Michelangelo’s David housed at Florence’s Accademia. Though normally closed to visitors at that time, Safer gained entry and spent two hours with this iconic masterpiece—a transformative moment in his life.

Equally influential were Michelangelo’s The Prisoners, sculptures partially carved from marble that symbolize figures emerging from raw stone abstraction. This encounter with abstraction’s expressive potential left a lasting imprint on Safer’s artistic philosophy and creative trajectory.

Businessman

Following his graduation from Harvard Law School in 1949, Safer’s fascination with television technology prompted him to join WXEL in Cleveland, Ohio initially as a handyman. He rapidly progressed to the role of program director, where his creative strategies enabled the independent station to outperform network affiliates in audience ratings.

In 1953, Safer moved back to Washington, D.C. to oversee his father’s declining business interests. There, he successfully developed a substantial real estate enterprise, although he found the commercial sector less personally rewarding.

His banking career began in 1974 when he took on the position of chairman of the executive committee at Financial General Bankshares. By 1981, he had become chairman of DC National Bank, which later merged with Bank of America. In 1999, Safer was named chairman of Materia, Inc., a firm known for its expertise in Olefin metathesis and distinguished by its Nobel Prize-winning contributions to Green chemistry.

Sculptor

Safer embarked on his sculpting journey in 1957, starting with experiments using plastic swizzle sticks before moving on to carve Lucite. His inaugural exhibition took place in 1969 at Pittsburgh’s Michael Berger Gallery, followed by displays in private galleries and a significant show at Washington, D.C.'s Pyramid Gallery.

In 1971, U.S. Ambassador Walter Annenberg invited him to present his work at the American Embassy in London. The following year, President Gerald Ford presented Safer's Limits of Infinity sculpture to King Juan Carlos of Spain, boosting Safer’s recognition and culminating in the creation of the monumental bronze piece Judgment, which was donated to Harvard Law School by the class of 1949 in 1979.

Harvard Business School Dean John McArthur commissioned Safer’s towering 20-foot bronze sculpture Search, installed in 1984 near the location where Safer’s daughter completed her MBA. In 1985, Safer became the only artist to exhibit within the central gallery of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.

The U.S. Department of State has showcased Safer’s sculptures worldwide, including exhibitions in London, Paris, Beijing, and Brussels. He continues his artistic endeavors alongside stepdaughter Kathryn Scott. Their prominent collaborations include the 35-foot stainless steel Quest for Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute (dedicated in 2009 as a patient gift) and the 11-foot Interplay created for Sibley Memorial Hospital’s $340 million Kimmel Cancer Center expansion.

In 2014, Scott initiated discussions with MGM Resorts International for a signature sculpture at MGM National Harbor. The resulting piece, Unity, is a 60-foot stainless steel structure weighing eighteen thousand pounds and was installed in November 2016 ahead of the $1.4 billion resort's opening.

Safer explains that his artistic inspiration lies in capturing dynamic movement that conveys both power and elegance. His sculptures aim to uplift the human spirit through themes rooted in classical philosophy. He acknowledges that his wife Joy has offered fresh insights that have significantly influenced his creative development.

Civic

Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum	Board of Directors
The Scripps Research Institute	Board of Directors
The Shakespeare Guild	Board of Directors
Washington Gallery of Modern Art	Founder and Director
Washington Tennis Center	Founder
Eugene and Agnes Meyer Foundation	Treasurer
U.S. Department of State	Inspector
Eugene McCarthy for President	National Campaign Director

Sports

John Safer's passion for athletics has served as a muse for numerous sculptures, such as Dancer and the Dance, Serve, Before the Wind, and Line of Flight, all of which vividly depict dynamic sports movements.

Although smaller in stature compared to his contemporaries during his youth, Safer eventually distinguished himself in various sports, achieving accolades in marksmanship, baseball, and bowling. Now in his nineties, he continues to compete actively in golf. Notably, in November 2012, Safer and his partner Jack Frazee triumphed at the Lyford Cay Shootout and later claimed the "B" flight championship at the Lyford Cay Four-Ball Invitational—an event they had previously won in 2007 when Safer was 85 years old.

Honours

Safer has been awarded three honorary doctorates: a Doctor of Philosophy from Daniel Webster College, a Doctor of Literature from Lees-McRae College, and a Doctor of Fine Arts from George Washington University in 2009. During GWU’s 2009 commencement ceremony, he delivered a speech alongside Rahm Emanuel and Jeanne L. Narum.

Reflecting on his professional journey, Safer highlights the importance of maintaining equilibrium:

There is one other fundamental principle that directs my work, my career in business, and my life overall, and that is balance. I hold that the Aristotelian golden mean stands as an excellent philosophical guide for life. In business, I consistently apply this principle by striving to balance the imperative for progress with the understanding that excessive activity can be counterproductive or pose unnecessary risks. In art, the human spirit finds satisfaction through balance, a harmonious note. Consequently, I endeavor to convey a sense of balance and completeness within my creations.

Bibliography

• Guinness Book of World Records, 1990 by Donald McFarlan, Norris Dewar McWhirter, David A. Boeh – Featuring the largest clock, Timepiece, crafted by John Safer
• John Safer by Frank Getlein and John Safer, J.J. Binns, 1982
• Art in Flight: The Sculpture of John Safer by Walter J. Boyne, John Safer, David Finn (photographs), Hudson Hills Press, 1992
• John Safer: [exhibition] April 3–26, 1975, Findlay Galleries, New York
• John Safer: Solo Exhibition at the United States Embassy in London, sponsored by U.S. Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg and Mrs. Annenberg, October 6–22, 1971; Valley House Gallery
• Refractions by John Safer, Pyramid Galleries and Westmoreland County Museum of Art, 1970

External links

• Official website of John Safer
• A Who's Who in America Publication
• Materia Inc.
• National Air and Space Museum Trophy
• Guinness Book of World Records – The world's largest clock Timepiece created by John Safer