Thursday, March 5, 2009

Exhibit review: George Segal: Street Scenes at Nasher Sculpture Center

By Anna Caplan of THE Magazine

Nasher Sculpture Center

Rush Hour by George Segal

George Segal’s affinity for city living and urban encounters is showcased to fine effect at the Nasher Sculpture Center through April 5 in George Segal: Street Scenes. Fifteen of the artist’s sculptures come to life in the Nasher’s main and lower-level galleries; from Cinema (1963) to Chance Meeting (1989), the installations offer viewers the opportunity to connect with endearing and sometimes gritty subject matter.

Due to the museum’s layout, more recent pieces are displayed on the upper level — where visitors enter the museum — and the older sculptures are found on the lower level. This does not consciously afford the show the most chronological of layouts. But whether you start downstairs or at street level, the same conclusion can be reached: Mr. Segal was perhaps one of the most authentic portrayers of urban life, documenting how it feels to be a waitress on a slow night (Diner, 1964–66) or what it means to change a marquee as almost an apparition would in Cinema.

Mr. Segal’s later sculptures are some of his most well known. The streetscapes incorporate lampposts and traffic lights and doorframes. Most of the figures are placed on black platforms, offering an obvious white-and-black scheme that works to emphasize an inherent spatial aesthetic at play. The irony in some of this work is certainly not lost on the artist. In Rush Hour (1983), a group of figures walks en masse, but also seems to be working at not acknowledging one another — a common occurrence when living in a congested urban environment. Bus Passengers (1994) and Street Crossing (1992) also play into this alone-yet-one-of-millions motif.

The photography of the artist’s friend Donald Lokuta is included in the exhibition. His black-and-white renderings seek to elaborate on Mr. Segal’s thesis, particularly about urban decay. In Dumpster and Liquor Store (both 1994) and The Homeless (1989), the deteriorating nature of a city is examined. The imagery may not be pretty, but it is honest and underlines, once again, the collective psyche of a city’s inhabitants.

Mr. Segal once said: “I love to watch people. I’m interested in their gestures, and I’m interested in their experiences and mine.” This exhibition, organized by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Wisconsin, presents Mr. Segal as a consummate observer of human nature. His sculptures are a relevant Rorschach test and, as viewers, we perpetuate the observational aspect of his work.

Pegasus News content partner - THE Magazine
THE MAGAZINE DFW is a visually oriented, free monthly periodical with a focus on the contemporary visual and performing arts scene in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area.

See more stories in:

• Arts > Fine Arts > Art and Sculpture