George Segal
George Segal was an innovative American artist known for his unique approach to sculpture, particularly during the 1970s. He gained recognition for his technique of wrapping live models in plaster-soaked bandages, which resulted in striking white plaster sculptures. As a figure within the Pop Art movement, Segal's work incorporated elements from contemporary consumer culture while also conveying deeply personal and poetic themes. In 1971, he pioneered a double-casting technique that allowed for greater detail and realism in his figures, enabling him to create more dynamic and fluid representations, including his notable bronze sculpture, *The Dancers*.
Throughout the mid-1970s, Segal began to experiment with color, creating vibrant pieces that further showcased his artistic evolution. His work also engaged with significant social themes; for instance, he created the commemorative sculpture *In Memory of May 4, 1970, Kent State: Abraham and Isaac* in response to the Kent State massacre, highlighting the complex nature of conflicting values. Additionally, Segal was commissioned to produce *Gay Liberation* to commemorate the Stonewall Inn riots, which played a pivotal role in the modern gay liberation movement. His public artworks sparked intense debate and controversy, reflecting the broader societal discussions of the time while showcasing his commitment to humanistic expression in art.
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Subject Terms
George Segal
- Born: November 26, 1924
- Birthplace: New York, New York
- Died: June 9, 2000
- Place of death: South Brunswick, New Jersey
Identification American sculptor
During the 1970’s, Segal continued to be one of the United States’ most influential figurative sculptors. He began making powerful social and political statements in outdoor public sculpture.
As the 1970’s began, George Segal was producing white plaster sculpture by wrapping live models in plaster-soaked bandages, a unique technique he had invented. Although he was considered a pop artist for using imagery from contemporary consumer culture, Segal’s art was also intensely personal and poetic.
In 1971, he developed the new technique of double-casting. From the original plaster cast, Segal made a more refined positive cast in hydrostone, a durable industrial plaster, which could further be cast in bronze. This inside casting resulted in more delicate and realistic details in skin textures and clothing. His new figures, such as those in his first bronze sculpture, The Dancers, showed more fluid movement than his frozen, introspective figures of the 1960’s. Casting in bronze enabled Segal to construct permanent outdoor sculptures. In 1976, Segal installed his first outdoor sculpture, The Restaurant, outside the Federal Office Building in Buffalo, New York.
In the mid-1970’s, Segal also began using color more frequently. He experimented with solid primary colors, as in Red Girl Behind Red Door (1976), Couple on Black Bed (1976), and Magenta Girl on Green Door (1977).
In 1970, the National Guards killed four students during antiwar demonstrations at Kent State University in Ohio. In May, 1978, the Cleveland-based Mildred Andrews Fund commissioned Segal to create a commemorative outdoor sculpture. Segal’s work, In Memory of May 4, 1970, Kent State: Abraham and Isaac, portrays Abraham about to stab a kneeling Isaac. Segal chose this biblical story because he felt that both events involved incredible contradictions and conflicts of values. An angel of God had asked the aged Abraham to kill his beloved only son. At Kent State University, the right to protest clashed with opposing stances on patriotism. Although there was support for the sculpture at Kent State, the university’s official position was that this depiction of an imminent act of violence was inappropriate. In 1979, the sculpture went to the John B. Putnam, Jr., Memorial collection at Princeton University.
In 1979, the Andrews Fund commissioned Segal to create public art at Sheridan Square, New York, to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Inn riots, in which gays fought police harassment. This event signaled the beginning of the modern gay liberation movement. Segal’s sculpture, Gay Liberation, was finished in 1980, but controversy and protests delayed its intended installation.
Impact
During the 1970’s, commissioned public art became mandatory for new government buildings, and public artwork helped promote contemporary artists. George Segal made the transition to public sculptures, which, like his other work, were eloquent expressions of a deep humanism. However, his public artwork also created intense public debate and controversy that continued after the decade.
Bibliography
Hunter, Sam. George Segal. New York: Rizzoli, 1989.
Segal, George, Martin L. Friedman, and Graham Beal. George Segal, Sculptures. Minneapolis: Walker Art Center, 1978.
Tuchman, Phyllis, and George Segal. George Segal. New York: Abbeville Press, 1983.