George Segal: Themes and Variations

(Hardback)

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George Segal's ghostly figures are immediately recognizable, even by those who don't know the artist's name. Some are installed in public spaces, as if sitting on a park bench. This book explores his revolutionary technique of casting from live models, as well as his work across a variety of media, presenting him as a restless innovator.

George Segal's sculptures are unmistakable and inimitable. Among the most compelling artists in twentieth century art, Segal combined a reverence for tradition with a desire to speak in a contemporary idiom. His unique technique of casting live models using plaster and gauze and combining these ghostly white figures with objects of everyday use was revolutionary, catapulting him to fame in 1962. Including over 75 illustrations, the book and texts present Segal as a radical experimenter, a traditionalist, and a restless innovator who worked in paint, photography, printmaking, charcoal, and pastel.

Author Bio

Donna Gustafson, PhD, is Chief Curator and Curator for Art of the Americas at the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University. She has published broadly on modern and contemporary American art. Her most recent project was a collaboration with archivist Lisbet Tellefsen on an exhibition that mixed contemporary art with archival materials to explore the visual iconicity and continuing importance of Angela Davis.