Tuesday, March 4, 1997
Segal’s sculptures of scenes from Genesis breathe new life into
the Old Testament.By Alicia Cheak
Daily Bruin Contributor
Like the people of Pompeii entombed in igneous lava, the figures
look like human sepulchers, captured in the course of a pivotal
act. It is not difficult to imagine that inside the dull, grayish
exterior there once existed flesh. The beautiful and haunting
life-sized sculptures are part of George Segal’s "Works from the
Bible," on view at Skirball Cultural Center and Museum until July
25. Segal’s encrusted models are characters from five well-known
Old Testament stories: the expulsion, Abraham’s farewell to
Ishmael, Abraham and Isaac, the legend of Lot and Jacob’s
dream.
Segal casts in plaster a single moment that best represents the
essence of each story. The Biblical characters, engaged in an act,
are accompanied by an appropriate environment, giving each piece a
context and anchoring it to reality. Figures and surroundings
dramatized by lighting drive home the artist’s interpretation of
scriptural text.
Five stories deliver countless themes and even more emotions.
With downcast faces and encumbered physiques, Adam and Eve conceal
their nakedness in guilt and shame as they leave Eden with God’s
flames behind them and a dead tree, representing mortality, before
them.
Then there is Jacob lying on a bed of rocks while an angel
ascends the ladder toward heaven. Amidst sin and human frailty,
Jacob is a man experiencing a moment of peace and a touch of the
divine. The piece is positioned opposite Adam and Eve, juxtaposing
God’s compassion and his harshness.
In contrast, corruption, incest, and disobedience, all themes
surrounding the legend of Lot, culminate in the amorphous figure
which represents him.
The conflict within the more noble Abraham, as he wrestles with
his obedience to God and his love for his only son, is all too
evident in his clenched left fist. The fist is a feature which
might be overlooked at first, but the three-dimensional quality of
the sculpture allows the viewer to move around each piece and see
subtle details from multiple perspectives.
Nowhere is the manipulation of viewpoint more powerful than in
"Abraham’s Farewell to Ishmael." According to Genesis, Sarah forces
Abraham to choose Isaac as his rightful heir and demands that he
banish the illegitimate Ishmael and his mother Hagah into the
desert. The piece is Segal’s recreation of the sad farewell
scene.
Abraham and Ishmael stand in an embrace. Hagah, the young woman
in the foreground, carries a sack while the older Sarah peers
through a hooded cape in the shadows of a huge wall.
Moving around the figures is a psychological experience, as one
witnesses in several glances the dynamics of human relationships
 the love between father and son within the embrace, the
loyalty between man and wife which required the sacrifice, and the
jealousy between wife and concubine, which enforced the banishment.
It is an intensely private moment; the feelings are vivid and
honest  so much so that a look almost feels like an
intrusion.
No one knows if these events happened the way Segal constructed
them. But it doesn’t matter because he delivers the story credibly.
Segal’s ability to capture the human story realistically
distinguishes his work from others. The humility and absence of
affect makes the observer’s journey a wonderful experience.
Although it is unusual for a modern artist to work with figures
and sculptures, Segal wanted art to be realistic. He was
dissatisfied with abstract art because it was too enigmatic and
distant, and he wanted to work with down-to-earth, real-life
material.
"I wanted to take art off a pedestal and bring it into ordinary
space," Segal says of the character of his sculptures. Thus, it is
no surprise that his work’s power lies in its life-likeness and its
ability to invoke empathy. No traces of Hollywood models are in his
figures  no perfect nose, torso, breasts or shape.
Instead, Segal casts the entire person using a special
bandage-like material, selected for its flexibility, for his works.
Segal explains that he doesn’t look for people who are physically
handsome. Rather he picks a model, often a friend, "whose mental
life (he) respects," and in doing so captures both the individuals’
flesh and spirit. In the process, he creates a new way of
delivering modern sculptors to the public.
A companion to the exhibit, "Interpreting Genesis Through Art,"
allows the audience to get a larger view of a tradition which Segal
is a part of. Scriptures have been a prominent source of
inspiration for artists throughout history. Underneath all the
mysticism are human stories with people living their lives, facing
choices, making decisions and sometimes suffering the
consequences.
Etchings from 20th-century Russian painter Marc Chagall and
Rembrandt Van Rijn, a 17th-century Dutch artist, are among the
works, artifacts, graphics and ceremonial objects which illustrate
the diversity and richness of Biblical interpretation. One can
identify the common themes, trace the influence the works have had
on Segal, and distinguish elements unique to him.
A video also gives viewers a glimpse of the artist and his
philosophy as it traces the creative process of how he casts humans
as models. Especially exciting is the chance to see the people
behind the Biblical figures, to see how they look, how they carried
themselves and why they were chosen. It shows the flesh behind the
mold.
"Works from the Bible" is an immediate, human experience. There
is nothing to decode. The sculptures tell the stories simply,
forcefully and beautifully.
ART: "Works from the Bible" by George Segal is on view until
July 25 at the Skirball Cultural Center and Museum from Tuesday to
Friday, 10-4 p.m.; Saturday, 12-5 p.m.; Sunday, 10-5 p.m. TIX: $7
general, $5 student with ID. For more information, call (310)
440-4500.
Sidney Janis Gallery
"Abraham’s Farewell to Ishmael," (1987) is one of the many
George Segal pieces at the Skirball.Sidney Janis Gallery
"Legend of Lot" (1958) is one of five Bible scenes by George
Segal at the Skirball Cultural Center & Museum.