Title: George Segal
Author: Jan van der Marck
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, 1975
Text by Jan van der Marck; 233 pages, 160 illustrations, including 66 in full color
George Segal’s ghostly figurative sculptures have haunted the history of Pop Art since they first appeared in 1962. Working in between the sculptural everydayness of Claes Oldenberg and the melancholy of Edward Hopper, Segal established himself as one of the silent icons of the 1960s. As the author, Jan van der Marck, noticed in the text there was always “an element of flaunting in Pop Art” that Segal never incorporated into his subtle, yet striking sculptures. This comprehensive monograph addresses the artist’s difficult beginning as a painter under the tutelage of Hans Hoffman, and his eventual maturity as a sculptor exploring the concepts of resilience and the human condition with his plaster-cast, life-sized figures. Complete with an extensive analysis, a biography, bibliography, and exhibition history the textual information provides a very informative supplement to the striking illustrations of the sculptures that have seamlessly integrated themselves into the American landscape.
