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The pathos of the plaster caster >>Four decades of George Segal at MMFA by KEITH MARCHAND
Segal is most commonly lumped in with the Pop Art movement of the early 1960s and, as can often be said of this type of simplistic pigeonholing, the categorization does not exactly fit the artist. It is plain to see that he partook in some of the symbols and visual language of the Pop movement--his use of ready-made objects, for example--but he did not share their irreverence or intentional, calculated superficiality. The show progresses in chronological order. In the first two rooms you'll find a healthy cross section of works dating from 195664. Of note are three oil paintings that seem quite different from his other works on canvas at the time. Titled Red Courbet ('59), The Blow ('58) and Upside Down Man ('60), these works display an inventiveness and sense of confidence that most other material from his early years lacks. Also noteworthy are two sculptures: The Legend of Lot ('58) and Woman in Red Jacket ('58). These are both excellent examples of his early technique, when he sculpted figures made from chicken wire, burlap and plaster. It was only in '61 that he developed his signature style of casting white plaster figures from live models. The works housed in the second segment of the exhibition, all done in the '60s, could be called his classics. With examples like The Butcher Shop, The Diner, Cinema and The Subway, we see--or perhaps more precisely feel--the desolation and alienation particular to Segal's work. Lastly, the end portion of the show reveals an artist who has moved in two directions: either large-scale sculptural commissions that come off heavy handed and pedagogical; or to the other end of the spectrum, with many of the smaller pieces appearing largely decorative. As evidenced by the show, Segal is an artist who is good at many things. His work is always attractive and handsomely presented, but what is billed as a show highlighting his many talents might just be a document of his stylistic restlessness. It would seem as though he found his greatest voice in those white sculptures, 30 years ago. This, however, is the exhibition's hidden strength: the odd dud can be more informative about the development of an artist's career than a room full of flawless works. 1380 Sherbrooke W., 285-1600
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Montreal is the site for the first retrospective on artist George Segal to be seen in North America for almost 20 years. This major exhibition is being held at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts ("Hey Safdie, what's with the freakin' stairs?") and will run until January 11. It's a large-scale show that spans four decades of Segal's career and makes an honest attempt to reveal the breadth and scope of his body of work. On view are over 70 pieces, and in addition to the expected white plaster figures we are presented with early figure paintings, pastel drawings, still-life sculpture and some recent portraiture and acrylic work.