Joe Segal

Artist Statement

Curiosity of what lies beneath the surface is a common feeling among sculptors who work subtractively, or carve, since working this way exposes the make-up of a particular material. I'm intrigued by the differences and similarities that exist between my actions and the materials that I work with.

The grain in stone or wood results from years of surviving through various natural cycles. A piece of wood represents the passage through hundreds of seasonal changes; a piece of stone has endured millions of years of heat and compression. The undulating patterns found in these materials are also present in cloud formations as well as microscopic pictures of cells and telescopic images of stars. This reoccurring tendency seems to reflect a system that operates on an essential level.

Whether I'm carving a block or assembling fragmented pieces, I use sculpture to echo the repetitive quality found in nature and examine the core of what I'm working with. I am particularly interested in wood since a piece of wood can represent a tree's full life cycle. Stone represents a smaller section of a much larger cycle. I make cuts methodically across the wood's grain, imposing a pattern on the material; breaks are made with the grain, letting the wood's natural pattern respond. I use burning, stacking, scraping and rusting to reiterate the form's passage through time.

The geometric quality of my work alludes to the rational style in which we approach examination and understanding. It's ironic that our ability to reason has separated us from nature and we use reasoning to help us understand it. By exploring the essence of the materials that I work with, I strive to unite our need for order with the illusive nature of our environment. This intersection takes place within the most basic element of our existence - the passage of time.

Artist Biography

Joe Segal was born in New York in 1963. After growing up on Long Island he moved to St. Augustine, Florida and attended Flagler College where he studied with sculptor Enzo Torcoletti. Segal graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in visual arts then returned to New York to study bronze casting at The Sculpture Center. His work is represented in many private and corporate collections including The Forbes Collection in New York, The Lowe Museum in Coral Gables and The Bass Museum in Miami. He has exhibited his work throughout Florida as well as in Atlanta and New York. In 2000 and 2003, Joe Segal was a recipient of a Fostering Vitality in the Arts grant from The Jacksonville Community Foundation. In 2001 he received an Individual Artist Fellowship and in 2004 an Artistic Enhancement Grant from the state of Florida.