Colors of My Mind, 2008. Painted in automotive "flop" colors.
I don’t know why I keep denying my interest in George Rodrigue . Maybe because Blue Dog, as sweet as she is, got a little over-saturated in my mind at the height of her popularity. Regardless, I finally took a look at "Rodrigue’s Louisiana: Forty Years of Cajuns, Blue Dogs, and Beyond Katrina" at the New Orleans Museum of Art, and couldn’t deny my awe and admiration for the artist and his endless creativity, and of course his wonderful dog art.
Art critic Doug MacCash of The Times-Picayune gives the show a rave too. He also selected some of his favorite pieces (including several non-Blue Dog ones) that I share with you here. Enjoy!
Watchdog, 1984. One of the earliest Blue Dogs originally meant to be a mythical werewolf creature.
No More Dukes, 1993. Rodrigue and Blue Dog get political as David Duke runs for Governor of Louisiana.
Doc Moses, Cajun Traiteur, 1970s. One of Rodrigue’s famous Cajun scenes, a popular focus for him pre-Blue Dog.
Kiss Me I’m Cajun, 1979. A painting of Rodrigue’s son and also a commentary on the commercialization and possible demise of the Cajun culture. Wonderful!
A collection of Blue Dog style cows. The large one made for Cows on Parade Chicago, 1999. The 250 small ones, won in a settlement after a Chinese porcelain company tried to illegally mass produce them in miniature.
Show runs through June 8. For more information visit NOMA’s website.