May 9–August 2, 2009, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

“I think a minute of existence is miraculous and extraordinary.” George Segal (1924–2000)

George Segal: Street Scenes is the first exhibition of this renowned sculptor’s work to focus on a single theme: the city. Segal loved New York City and made frequent trips there from his home in South Brunswick, New Jersey, to explore gritty neighborhoods such as the Bowery and the Lower East Side. He walked the streets in search of inspiration and found it in neighborhoods where city life spilled out into the street, mixing immigrants, artists, musicians, working people and bohemians of all varieties. Segal’s approach to art was unflinchingly realistic yet compassionate. The city and its inhabitants were his muses.

Spanning four decades, from the 1960s through the 1990s, the exhibition includes more than a dozen large sculptures. Through these works, Segal chronicled the ever-evolving dynamics of the city from the quiet nostalgia of The Diner (1964-66) to more contemporary references such as punk art graffiti in Dumpster (2000).

Street Scenes presents vignettes of daily life set in the urban environment. Cast from live models who were primarily family and friends, Segal’s ghostly figures appear in stage-like settings made of materials scavenged from the real world. Segal’s primary subject, the psychological complexity of ordinary people, is immediate and universal.

An astute observer of human nature, Segal used the figure as his expressive vehicle. Rather than selecting Hollywood-like models with idealized features, he said he chose “ordinary human beings with no great pretentions” because they were “beautiful….It’s a different idea of beauty and it has to do with…the gift of life.” Segal used gesture, pose and the relation of one figure to another to suggest psychological states. Segal’s subjects appear lost in thought and isolated, even in the midst of others. In spite of their shared humanity and presumed desire for meaningful connection, they often convey the alienation of city life. They can also reflect the poetry found in ordinary existence—the in-between moments of life.

Each vignette offers a unique narrative possibility, while the story lines remain ambiguous. In Cinema, a man bathed in the pure white light of an illuminated sign plucks the last letter from the marquee. What is he thinking? Specific to Cinema, Segal asked, “What is the nature of light? Is light revelatory?” The illumination draws us in, heightening the drama of the scene. Segal’s life-sized figures—sitting, standing or striding—share our space and thus evoke physical and psychological identification. The innate urge to strike a similar pose confirms the shared moment. Rooted in daily life, Segal’s sculptures speak broadly to the human condition.

Segal’s presence is uniquely evident in Street Scenes. Photographs made by his friend, Donald Lokuta, document the artist making sculptures and roaming city streets. Segal’s three-dimensional, life-size double appears at times in his own work. He also created figural forms using his hands to press plaster-laden bandages onto the model’s body and clothing. His touch remains embedded in textural surfaces. The artist manipulated certain details, inventing folds in clothing, exaggerating body parts or poses for dramatic effect. Segal’s expressive touch is evidence of the art-making process and functions as an abstract signature.

Segal’s sculptural vignettes include real objects and casts from real people, but they are surreal at the same time. The uncanny figures create an aura of mystery, reminding us that we are encountering the imaginary realm of art.

This exhibition has been organized by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Leesa Fanning was the venue curator at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The exhibition is supported in Kansas City by the Campbell-Calvin Fund and Elizabeth C. Bonner Charitable Trust for exhibitions. Midwest Airlines is the official airline sponsor.