Jack Bredin at art show in Auditorium Square Park, 2012. Note the Ocean Grove themes. Photo By Paul Goldfinger . Note that Jack passed in 2025.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor, Blogfinger.net. 2012
In case you think that Jack Bredin spends all his time researching Municipal Land Use Law, Jack’s true passion is with art. He works at home, although he does have a private area that is his studio. His paintings are on permanent exhibit around town including over at the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association’s national headquarters on Pitman Avenue. Lately he has been focusing on some of the scenery on Main Avenue.
“The Harry Eichhorn Pavilion” by Jack Bredin. January, 2019. Photograph by Rob Bredin . Click to enlarge. Just because.
Re-post 2019. Blogfinger.net. See comments.
BILL EVANS (piano) and CANNONBALL ADDERLEY (sax). “Waltz for Debbie.”
*Harry Eichhorn is an iconic figure in Ocean Grove representing the musical side of this town with its long musical heritage. There is a plaque on the Pavilion honoring Harry Eichhorn for his many years of conducting the Summer Band. You can use the search box at the top right of this page and type in his name. And, incidentally, Harry will turn 92 on January 29. —PG
Editor’s note: Once again artist Jack Bredin of Ocean Grove creates a personal vision of an Ocean Grove view. His body of work is unique, as he redefines how we see our town. There was a time in 2007 when this Boardwalk Pavilion became a symbol of controversy where factions in the Grove clashed in an un-neighborly way.
But Jack Bredin sees something much different when he looks at the Pavilion. He sees summer band concerts, gospel services with inspiring music, children running around, a place to rest on a hot day, and a historic landmark which is part of a larger and most beautiful scene as seen in this painting. So that is why he doesn’t simply call this work “Boardwalk Pavilion.”
Instead, by naming this work “The Harry Eichhorn* Pavilion” he reminds us to look at our town with a broad stroke and to see it in all its diversity and beauty.
Jack Bredin decided years ago to paint the historic Aurora Hotel. This year he finally completed the project. Jack usually begins by photographing his subject, and when he was doing that, he saw a woman watering her lawn near the Aurora. It turns out that she is the owner of that house, and she gave Jack permission to use her in his painting. The dog walker also was present on the day of the photographs and he also gave permission.
The historic Angel of Victory statue is depicted at the lower right corner. Jack has used the famous statue in other paintings. Here is a BF link by Kathy Arlt regarding the Angel:
Jack works in oil on canvas, and his paintings often contain historic and current references. For example, Jack always admired the giant American flag hung from the Aurora at times such as the 4th of July. But the flag obscured many details, so Jack placed bunting instead.
The vacant North End is readily seen. Someday much of what Jack shows here will be considered historic For example, the “White Whale” building near the upper right hand corner, will probably be demolished in the future. And the glorious views currently available to all at the North End will be blocked by a commercialized OG North End (aka “South Asbury Park.”)
Wonderful Victorian homes are shown in the foreground, but looming behind, like some prehistoric monster, is a condominium building, the sort of place that mars the views in the Grove.
Jack insists on accuracy in his paintings, while taking some minor liberties. For example, the girl on the bike is a Heck Avenue neighbor named Jackie. And the Aurora, the symbol of the Greek Goddess of dawn, will be converted into 4 condos if the out-of-town interlopers get their way, with the gears greased by the feckless HPC (def: lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible.) and the out-of-town, don’t-give-a crap Committee.
It should be noted that although Jack’s work might stimulate political discussions, he never mixes art and politics.
You also can see that Jack has frozen the time of his subject by including the 16 story Asbury skyscraper currently going up near the ocean. You can see the giant crane on top. What effect will that huge building have on life in the Grove?
The tents are arrayed around the Great Auditorium in summer. Those who stay in the tents are part of a unique community within a community.
For this oil painting, Jack was inspired by the peacefulness that prevails there, especially late in the afternoon, towards dusk.
Here is link to a Blogfinger video clip that captures that sense of place and peace. You can hear the Hope-Jones organ playing quietly in the background. Children enjoy the Village and roam about fearlessly.
Jack has introduced his work before on Blogfinger.net. You can type his name into the search box on top of this page to see more about this fine local painter.
Jack Bredin is a well known artist who specializes in scenes of Ocean Grove. His work is on display at the Ocean Park Gallery on Cookman Avenue in Asbury park. Here is a link to another recent work of Jack’s from this past summer:
The SS Morro Castle was an ocean liner in the 1930’s. It ran back and forth between New York City and Havana. On September 8, 1934, during a return trip from Cuba with 571 passengers and crew on board, the ship caught fire about 8 miles off Long Beach Island. Very quickly it became enveloped by the flames. The crew was ill prepared for a shipboard fire, and many people jumped into the water. In the end, about 137 people died of drowning or fire. Some bodies floated ashore at Pt. Pleasant and Manasquan.
After the ship was empty, an attempt was made to tow it away, but it drifted loose and went aground near Convention Hall in Asbury Park. It stayed there for about 6 months where it was a tourist attraction. Then it was towed away and scrapped.
Jack Bredin’s folk-painting style is to add a bit of poetic license to his works, so the facts may not be exactly correct—thus the ship burning off Asbury Park.
