The City As Art

A prominent contributor to the Pop Art movement in postwar America, George Segal is best known for placing life-size human sculptures in natural environments. "George Segal: Street Scenes", now displayed at the Norton Museum of Art, captures the melancholy and ironic isolationism associated with city life via ghostly white, plaster...

By Erica K. Landau

September 3, 2009

[
        {
          "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
          "component": "16971022",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "15769925",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Rectangle 2x - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782206",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782207",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

A prominent contributor to the Pop Art movement in postwar America, George Segal is best known for placing life-size human sculptures in natural environments. "George Segal: Street Scenes", now displayed at the Norton Museum of Art, captures the melancholy and ironic isolationism associated with city life via ghostly white, plaster figures in front of graffitied walls and movie signs. It is the first exhibit to showcase the New York City artist’s examination of the urban landscape. In Diner, a man sits alone at the café counter drinking coffee, while a waitress fidgets with the coffee machine. Portraying a “quiet moment rippling with silent tensions,” the individuals, who are the only people in the restaurant, are close to each other, yet remain completely disconnected. In Cinema, a worker hangs the titles of movies under a bright orange sign that reads “Cinema”; the piece communicates the roles of the oft-overlooked labor that power a city.

The exhibition opens Saturday at the Norton Museum, located at 1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. General admission is $8. The exhibit runs through December 6. Call 561-832-5196, or visit norton.org.
Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.; Fri., Sept. 11, 1 p.m. Starts: Sept. 8. Continues through Dec. 6, 2009

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of South Florida, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.