- 226
George Segal
Estimate
600,000 - 800,000 USD
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Description
- George Segal
- Chance Meeting
- bronze, aluminum and metal
- 122 by 46 by 76 in. 309.9 by 116.8 by 193 cm.
- Executed in 1989, this work is an artist's proof from an edition of 6 plus 6 artist's proofs.
Edition of 6 Artist's proof
Provenance
Mitchell-Innes & Nash, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 2003
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 2003
Literature
Exh. Cat., New York, Sidney Janis Gallery, George Segal, 1991, cat. no. 1, illustrated as the plaster cast
Exh. Cat., Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas Sofia Imber, George Segal's Works From 1959 to 1989, 1991, cat. no. 20, p. 33, illustrated as the plaster cast
Exh. Cat., Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas Sofia Imber, George Segal's Works From 1959 to 1989, 1991, cat. no. 20, p. 33, illustrated as the plaster cast
Condition
This work is in very good and sound condition overall. There are scattered abrasions, particularly to the pole, resulting in some spots of loss. There are some spot accretions and some dirt has accumulated in the crevices. The patina of the pole has a somewhat uneven appearance.
*Please note the auction begins at 9:30 am on November 14th.*
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Beginning in 1961 with his revolutionary plaster casting technique, George Segal broke with the constraints of Modernist theory, situating his figures in everyday environments. His sculptures, with their bodies and clothing rendered perfectly realistic by the casting process, are both like us, and in their ghostliness, not of our world. This otherworldliness contrasts powerfully with the fragments of reality that compose the environments Segal creates, and makes for an intense visual encounter as in the present work, Chance Meeting.
Segal's compositions simulate physical reality while striving for a corresponding psychological or philosophical truth. Captivated by human relationships, works with only one figure often convey a resonant loneliness or isolation while works with multiple figures relate to one another based upon the environment or constructed situation. The figures in Chance Meeting participate in an everyday encounter, faced with the proverbial fork in the road. Segal's "frozen figures appear to take part in some mysterious, compelling performance that can be understood but never shared. Forever outside the action, the viewer becomes the casual, unwitting witness to a moment that might be pivotal to human history or merely yet another lost soul stumbling down an urban alley, going who knows where" (Sam Hunter, George Segal, Barcelona, 1989, p. 19).
Segal's compositions simulate physical reality while striving for a corresponding psychological or philosophical truth. Captivated by human relationships, works with only one figure often convey a resonant loneliness or isolation while works with multiple figures relate to one another based upon the environment or constructed situation. The figures in Chance Meeting participate in an everyday encounter, faced with the proverbial fork in the road. Segal's "frozen figures appear to take part in some mysterious, compelling performance that can be understood but never shared. Forever outside the action, the viewer becomes the casual, unwitting witness to a moment that might be pivotal to human history or merely yet another lost soul stumbling down an urban alley, going who knows where" (Sam Hunter, George Segal, Barcelona, 1989, p. 19).