Segal, George

Segal, << SEE guhl, >> George (1924-2000), was an American sculptor noted for creating life-sized plaster figures in poses taken from everyday experiences. His sculptures realistically represent activities and moments normally taken for granted, such as stepping out of a shower, making a telephone call, or eating at a restaurant. He drew attention to these often-repeated daily activities by giving his works a fresh intensity through their isolation and lack of normal human association. Segal created granite sculptures related to the Great Depression for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C., which opened in 1997.

Segal made his plaster casts from actual people, but the casts look anonymous and are meant to represent everyone. He usually painted the plaster white, but he also used red and blue. In most works, the figures interact with real objects, such as doors, automobile steering wheels, and chairs, which are left in their normal form. Segal was born on Nov. 26, 1924, in New York City. He died on June 9, 2000.