How did George Segal create tableaux using plaster-cast figures and real environments?

George Segal created his distinctive tableaux by using a specific casting technique in which live models—often friends or family members—were wrapped in strips of plaster-soaked cheesecloth. This process resulted in figures with a rough texture and minimal surface detail, which contributed to an overall sense of anonymity and isolation.1

Once cast, these monochromatic, white plaster figures were placed within environmental sculpture settings composed of mundane, authentically detailed furnishings and commercial props. By situating these ghostly, silent figures in everyday environments, such as a laundromat or a hot dog stand, Segal evoked a sense of hermetic alienation and suspension in time. While his work is often associated with the Pop art movement due to his use of common objects, his sculptures are distinguished by a unique, haunting quality that contrasts with the movement's typically ironic tone.12