George Segal @ Skirball Cultural Center 1

Now on view at the Skirball Cultural Center, where they run top-notch exhibitions, is “The Expulsion,” an installed tableau of Adam and Eve driven from Garden of Eden created in 1986 by George Segal. The artist, a major player in early pop art, passed away in 2000.

A recent gift to Skirball, the mise-en-scene features two Segal-esque sculptures planted in flight before a fiery painted wall. I really like the way Segal, who toiled over his artistic career with the human form, tips the heads downward to indicate shame. (click for better view)

Daniel Lokuta’s photography of Segal at work adds dimensionality to the show by demonstrating Segal’s process and by giving glimpses of his other iconic works. A personal favorite, “Depression Breadline,” made for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in D.C., is posted here.