Watch the documentary, George Segal: American Still Life, on NJN at 8 p.m. (Also, read my story about his daughter, Rena Segal, here, and see a past blog post about George Segal here.)
George Segal loved the real world. “I think a minute of existence is miraculous and extraordinary,” he said. George Segal: American Still Life chronicles the life and work of the internationally acclaimed sculptor, whose trademark life-size plaster casts can be seen in major museums and in public spaces throughout the country, from the FDR Memorial in Washington to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York.
Segal created his art out of life’s seemingly uneventful moments – waiting for a bus, drinking coffee in a diner, listening to the radio but his sculptures are more than just frozen moments. They remind us what it is to be human. Daily life has a reputation for being banal, uninteresting, boring somehow. It strikes me that daily life is baffling, mysterious and unfathomable, said Segal.
This program weaves together interviews with the artist, scenes of him at work casting a model in his studio, commentary from his friends, family, critics, and historians, and rare archival footage of the Pop Art scene in the 60’s. George Segal: American Still Life tells the story of one man’s search for a unique way to express himself, and in the process, provides a lively history of American culture in the last half of the 20th century.
George Segal: American Still Life was produced by Amber Edwards. Awards for the documentary include The Worldfest Houston Gold Award, First Prize-Audience Choice, Documentary at Filmfest New Haven, a Columbus International Film Festival “Chris” Award, a Cine Golden Eagle, and the US International Film and Video Festival Silver Screen Award, Arts and Culture.
The Artful Blogger 