>> FOR THE FIRST TIME SELF
PORTRAITS OF ARTIST LEO SEGEDIN
ARE ON DISPLAY IN AN EXHIBITION.
"CHICAGO TONIGHT" JAY SHEFSKY
FIRST INTRODUCED US TO THE
EVANSTON BASED ARTIST 10 YEARS
AGO.
ARTS CORRESPONDENT, ANGEL IDOWU
TAKES US TO DES PLAINES EXHIBIT
SHOWCASING THE SERIES OF SELF
PORTRAITS SPANNING 75 YEARS IN A
NEW INTERVIEW WITH THE
95-YEAR-OLD ARTIST.
>> THIS IS LEO SEGEDIN.
THIS IS ALSO LEO SEGEDIN.
AND AND THIS IS HIM HERE, TOO.
AND IN FACT, THEY ARE ALL LEO
SEGEDIN ALL PAINTED BY THE
ARTIST OVER THE COURSE OF 75
YEARS.
>> BUT THE PAST IS MY PRESENT
AND MY PAINTING ANYWAY.
>> JAY SHEFSKY FIRST INTRODUCED
US TO THE ARTIST IN 2013.
WHILE A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE
THEN, SOME THINGS REMAINED THE
SAME.
>> I GREW UP ON THE WEST SIDE OF
CHICAGO, OK.
ANYTIME I PAINT THE CITY NOW
IT'S THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO
FROM 1940s.
>> DESPITE RAISING HIS FAMILY IN
EVANSTON FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS,
LEO SEGEDIN'S WORK HAS BEEN
ROOTED IN THIS CHILDHOOD
MEMORIES.
AND WHILE AGE FORCED HIM TO
RELOCATE THE STUDIO SPACE AT
HOME FROM THE TOP FLOOR TO THE
LIVING ROOM ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
>> NOW I'M DOWN HERE MY STUDIO.
THAT IS A STUDIO?
>> HIS DRIVE REMAINS THE SAME.
>> WITH MOST ARTISTS DO IS
BULL...
PARDON THE EXPRESSION.
I THINK SINCE THE BEGINNING THAT
MY PAINTING IS GO TO BE ABOUT
SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO HAVE A
SUBJECT AND BE AN IMPORTANT
SUBJECT.
>> THOSE SUBJECTS ARE ON DISPLAY
IN AN EXHIBIT AT THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGE.
>> WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SELF
PORTRAITS YOU SEE IN THE
EXHIBIT?
>> THERE IS ONE THAT USED TO
HANG HERE IN WHICH I AM THREE
TIMES.
AND I'VE SEEN IT HERE EVERYDAY
BUT WHEN I SAW IT IN THE MUSEUM,
I SAID WOW, DID I DO THAT?
>> ONE OF THE PAINTINGS IN THE
SHOW ACTUALLY IT SHOWS A KID
WITH A HELMET AND THEN AN OLD
MAN WITH A BEARD AND THAT IS ME
WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD AND I
WANTED TO BE A PILOT.
WHAT WOULD I THINK WHEN I WAS 95
YEARS OLD?
AND NOW THAT I'M 95 YEARS OLD,
WHAT DID I THINK I WAS WHEN I
WAS A KID?
AND I'M CONFRONTATION THAT IS
WHAT THE PAINTING WAS ABOUT.
>> WITH NO HELP FROM A MIRROR HE
PAINTS HOW HE HAS KNOWN HIMSELF
TO BE NOT NECESSARILY WHO HE
SEES.
>> I ACTUALLY HAVE ALMOST NO
MEMORY OF WHAT I WAS THINKING
WHEN I DID THEM.
I LOOK AT THEM.
AND I ALMOST PROJECT THE PAST
INTO THEM.
>> LEO SEGEDIN SAYS HE DOESN'T
PAINT TO PLEASE PEOPLE BUT HOPES
HIS WORK DOES.
IT'S FOR THAT REASON LEO SEGEDIN
SAYS HE DOESN'T BELIEVE HIS
STYLE IS DESCRIBABLE.
>> I DON'T THINK I CAN EXPLAIN
IT IN BOARDS.
I DON'T THINK THE VISUAL IMAGE
IS TRANSLATABLE.
>> WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT
VIEWERS TO TAKE AWAY FROM YOU
AND YOUR WORK AND WHAT THEY
INTERPRET?
>> BE AWARE OF ME AS A PERSON
AND LIVED FOR A LONGTIME AND
PRODUCED AND AS LONG AS I CAN I
WILL.
SO I MAY GO BACK TO MORE
SPONTANEOUS STUFF AND PULL IT
OUT AND NO EDGES AND ALL THAT.
I WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
IS THAT INTIMIDATING?
>> YES.
YES, IT IS THAT IS A GOOD
QUESTION.
I'M SCARED.
THE ADVICE TO JUDGE PEOPLE IS DO
IT WHILE YOU CAN.
THERE'S ONLY ONE MATERIAL THAT
IS IRREPLACEABLE AND THAT IS
TIME.
>> FOR "CHICAGO TONIGHT" I'M
ANGEL IDOWU.
>> AGAIN THOSE PORTRAITS CAN BE
SEEN AT THE CONE LINE MUSEUM OF
ART IN DES PLAINES THROUGH THE