The Red Light

1972
(American, 1924–2000)
Overall: 289.5 x 243.8 x 91.4 cm (114 x 96 x 36 in.)
© Estate of William Schwedler / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location: not on view

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Segal pioneered the unique use of plaster bandages to make his sculpted figures.

Description

George Segal began his career as a figurative painter, but in the 1960s his interest turned toward "the theater of the street," and he began to create three-dimensional "environments." Built like stage sets that incorporated real objects as props—the truck in The Red Light was Segal's own—the settings usually evoke an urban environment. Segal felt that "a minute of existence is miraculous and extraordinary." His work freezes those minutes, allowing them to be studied in depth. To achieve this effect in The Red Light, Segal worked with a live model, soaking cloth in a durable white industrial plaster to cast the figure in sections. He then cut the cast into sections, reassembled the pieces, and adjusted the pose. The figure's all-white surface and lack of specific facial features convey a sadly anonymous presence, offering a metaphor for the reality of city life.
The Red Light

The Red Light

1972

George Segal

(American, 1924–2000)
America, 20th century

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