George Segal (November 26, 1924 – June 9, 2000) was an American
painter and
sculptor associated with the
pop art movement. He was presented with the United States
National Medal of Arts in 1999.[1]
Works
Although Segal started his art career as a painter, his best known works are cast life-size figures and the
tableaux the figures inhabited. In place of traditional
casting techniques, Segal pioneered the use of
plasterbandages (plaster-impregnated gauze strips designed for making
orthopedic casts) as a sculptural medium. In this process, he first wrapped a model with bandages in sections, then removed the hardened forms and put them back together with more plaster to form a hollow shell. These forms were not used as molds; the shell itself became the final sculpture, including the rough texture of the bandages. Initially, Segal kept the sculptures stark white, but a few years later he began painting them, usually in bright
monochrome colors. Eventually he started having the final forms cast in bronze, sometimes
patinated white to resemble the original plaster.
Segal's figures have minimal color and detail, which give them a ghostly,
melancholic appearance. In larger works, one or more figures are placed in anonymous, typically urban environments such as a street corner, bus, or diner. In contrast to the figures, the environments were built using
found objects.
During the few years he ran the chicken farm, Segal held annual picnics at the site to which he invited his friends from the New York art world. His proximity to central New Jersey fostered friendships with professors from the
Rutgers University art department. Segal introduced several Rutgers professors to
John Cage, and took part in Cage's legendary experimental composition classes.
Allan Kaprow coined the term
happening to describe the art performances that took place on Segal's farm in the Spring of 1957. Events for
Yam Festival also took place there. After his death on June 9, 2000, he was interred at Washington Cemetery in South Brunswick, New Jersey.
His widow, Helen Segal, kept his memory and works alive, until her death in 2014, through the George and Helen Segal Foundation. The foundation continues this mission. George and Helen had three children.[4]
Abraham's Farewell to Ishmael (1987), presented at the
Pérez Art Museum Miami between 2019-2023. The set of sculptures is part of PAMM's permanent collection.[11][12]
George Segal (1980). Directed by
Michael Blackwood. Documentary about Segal, who discusses and is shown creating his bronze sculpture Abraham and Isaac, which was originally intended as a memorial for the
Kent State shootings of 1970.
George Segal: American Still Life (2001). Directed by Amber Edwards. Television documentary about his life and work.[17]
^[dead link] Turner, Elisa (December 20, 1998).
"Segal Exhibit Evokes Quiet Dignity of Humdrum Lives". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 31, 2007. "That compassion is also evident in the work ethic and personality of this artist, who's called himself a Depression baby and who speaks fondly of South Brunswick, N.J., where he's lived since the 1940s, as a working man's town."
^Honolulu Museum of Art, wall label, Japanese Couple against a Brick Wall by George Segal, 1982, plaster, wood, paint and faux brick, accession January 28, 2013.