George Seggtl's America

Segal, who received the National
Medal of Honor from President
Clinton in 1999, used plaster and
medical bandages on friends, models
and even himself to form his sculp-
tural molds. Finished works often
were placed in settings.
Samples of Segal's paintings and
drawings, some with Old
Testament themes, are shown
throughout the indoor
galleries for this one-
stop showing.
"I studied painting in
art school, but I never
studied sculpture," Segal
said in his 1998 inter-
view, which referenced
his work for a Holocaust
memorial in San
Francisco. "My father
taught me how to do
carpentry, plumbing and
electricity, and I've tried
to use all those skills as
language, whether it's
called drawing or sculp-
ture."
Segal, born in New
York City to Eastern
European Jewish immi-
grants, built his first stu-
dio on the property of his
father's
chicken farm,
George Segal: 'Appalachian Farm Couple," 1991;
where he worked early on
plaster wood, metal, acrylic paint.
to support his artistic
projects
involving paint
drawings. Woman Eating Apple, Man
before plaster. The 7-iinne4 part of the
With Guitar and Appalachian Farm
permanent sculpture collection of the
Couple are among the painted plaster
Detroit Institute of Arts, shows the
and wood figures that represent
artist walking through a construction
Segal's interests.
site.
"Rather than being a political
"I think the simple truth is that it's
activist, I wanted to make public
a
metaphor
for all of our lives," said
sculpture that expresses the feelings of
Segal,
a
founder
of the Pop Art move-
ordinary people, who, I believe, are
rnent.
"We
walk
through a dark tun-
not that ordinary," Segal told the
nel
hoping
for
some
illumination
Detroit Jewish News in 1998, just two
along.
the
way."
years before his death at age 76.
--Suzanne Chessler, special writer
"I count on the sensitivity, percep-

III

he designer of a poster
marking the 50th anniver-
sary of Israel is remem-
bered in Grand Rapids
through his realistic works capturing
life in the United States.
"George Segal: America," which
runs through May 2 at the Frederik
Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park,
showcases statuary, paintings and

jion and insight of my models as
much as I count: onmy own. I
L•describe a situation, and its like the
plot for a play or movie."
The exhibit; featuring 22 works,
also calls attention to the Grand
Rapids sculpture park's permanent
Segal piece, Woman in an Arm Chair,
a painted bronze made to appear as if
it were in the artist's preferred medi-
um of plaster. ;A color image of the
artist, signed and dated by its famed
photographer, Arnold Newman,
brings the artist into focus.

.

George Segal: America" runs
through May 2 at the Frederik
Meijer Gardens & Sculpture
Park, 1000 East Beltline NE,
Grand Rapids. Hours are 9 a.m.-
5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and
noon-5 p.m. Sundays. $10/$8
seniors and students/$6 children
5-13/$3 children 3-4. Info:
wwwmeijergardens.org or
(888.) 957-1580.

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