George Segal

First Impressions

my first impressions about this sculpture is that it's simple and smart because the way I see it as a mirror to the public on how they look like when they're either going to work or even just being out and about, it looks like they're either walking or waiting. it's such a strong piece because the public will go up to it and think about the work and think again, does that symbolizes working class?, could it be a bad or a good thing?

what materials and processes have been used?

In this picture I can see seven sculptures of people standing/ walking, out in the public. the gender of the people are four men and three women, they look like they're going to work and some that look like they're just walking about. the tools the artist has used the plaster bandages casting techniques which is all white, none of them are painted. In the background I can see the buildings, trees and bushes. In the middle distance I can see people driving on the roads and two people behind the sculpture area. I n the foreground of the artwork there is only the sculptured piece with a flat wood-like texture on the floor. 

Background information 

 The name of the artist who made this piece is George Segal. the title of this art work is called Segal's Street Crossing (bronze) in permanent installation at Montclair State University, in the year of 1992. George Segal is considered to be one of the founder of the 1960's art movement known as Pop Art, due to his interest in the everyday world and his highly inventive techniques.

Meaning

I think that the sculpture is about how it mirrors the public and how they go to work or just causally out and about. the reason why is that the sculptures of people are standing in a positions and also from the looks of their clothes like they're going to work. George Segal said  "I note [my subjects] gestures. I depend on my language [plaster] to communicate anguish. I really am interested in provoking a state of compassion." this suggests that he wanted to get the best out of the sculptures by showing how they feel. It makes the viewer think what are they doing there? why are they there? because from the naked eye it looks completely random, the fact that the people are randomly standing or walking. could this be a popular road that many people walk by, could these people know each other?. The feeling I get from this sculpture is that it makes me wonder why did George segal use this area and to think that looking at the photo, seeing how it's a big space and it's smart because it will attract a lot of people because the sculptures are ever so bright, which will stand out from a crowd.

What do you think of it ?

what I particularly like about this piece is that how he creates so much detail out of the plaster which is funny because it isn't hard because he over lays the person with the clothes on which creates the detail through the creases.the sculptor has done well on how people would walk pass a person and how it's turned into a sculpture it changes people into stopping what they were doing and look at it. If I could change the artwork I would colour them into the emotion on how it looks emotionally because it would give the public a sense of how they feel towards the expression on their face, body language and the simple colour. when looking at this artwork, I imagine that I can understand how the sculptures feel because of the emotional faical expressions and body language. I would like to ask the artist what was going through his mind when he first had the Idea? (because some art pieces or movements develop into something strong). Did he tell the people that he was casting, to make the faical expressions and the body language on his Idea or to just be themselves at that point of time?. Would he consider doing any sport related? (since it just looks like the public going to work).

Last thoughts

My thoughts has changed in a way because George created a new movement for the art world which is mind blowing for me because it's something new and very different to other art movements because it's something that anyone can produce, due to it being simple and bold.

Compare

This is Brian Griffiths, he also works with plaster bandages and as you can see these plaster bandage art pieces are face sculptures of an actor called Peter Lorre   

The differences between these two artists is that Brian Griffiths makes a flat verison of a person's face other than George Segal makes the whole body of a person. Brian Griffiths puts in so much detail towards the face, but George Segal only captures the shape of the person. the similarities they have are that they both use plaster bandage, they both work on people that they get inspiration from.