{"id":9517,"date":"2018-09-24T08:48:31","date_gmt":"2018-09-24T13:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/georgerodrigue.com\/?p=9517"},"modified":"2018-10-16T13:26:01","modified_gmt":"2018-10-16T18:26:01","slug":"rodrigue-shiny-happy-blue-dog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/georgerodrigue.com\/blog\/rodrigue-shiny-happy-blue-dog\/","title":{"rendered":"Rodrigue: Shiny Happy Blue Dog"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum, Sand Springs, OK
\n<\/b>The Art of George Rodrigue: Shiny Happy Blue Dog<\/em>
\nNov 17, 2018 \u2013 Feb 17, 2019<\/span><\/h4>\n

Located in the vicinity of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum<\/a> will host the exhibition The Art of George Rodrigue:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0Shiny Happy Blue Dog<\/em><\/strong>, highlighting George Rodrigue\u2019s painted artworks on metal.<\/p>\n

The installation of twenty original artworks marks the first-ever George Rodrigue exhibition in Oklahoma<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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At age nine, George Rodrigue was diagnosed with polio, leaving him bedridden for six months. To cure his boredom, his mother, Marie Courrege Rodrigue, provided him with a new 1950s invention, the paint-by-number set.\u00a0 <\/span>As almost by instinct, he turned the pre-printed panels over, and drew and painted his own creations, including cars, alligators and monsters, setting into motion his interest in a career in art.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although extremely ill himself, it was his recollection of other terrified children that remained with Rodrigue throughout his life:<\/span><\/p>\n

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My most vivid childhood memory is of rows of kids in iron lungs in hospital wards.\u00a0 <\/span>I was lucky to fully recover from polio, but I still have that image in my mind.\u00a0 <\/span>I want children in today\u2019s hospitals to remember something happy. \u2013 George Rodrigue<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"To overcome children\u2019s fears in hospitals, George Rodrigue embarked on a series of Blue Dogs on mirrored paper and metal surfaces, purposely created in a way that allowed the silver to show through.\u00a0 <\/span>Between 2008 and 2013, he painted numerous mixed media works on chrome, including Blue Dog heads and full bodies.\u00a0 <\/span>His favorites, however, were the large-scale works (80\u201d x 56\u201d), created by combining four shiny chrome boards.\u00a0 <\/span>According to the artist, the idea behind the design was for young patients to see their own reflection alongside the dog, or in some cases within its shape, taking away something positive from an otherwise traumatic experience.\u00a0 <\/span>These over-sized pieces are especially suited for children\u2019s hospitals and are installed currently at hospitals in Texas, Tennessee and Louisiana.\u00a0 <\/span>Because of the mirrored quality of these pieces, the art changes according to the light, the objects in the room, and the person standing before them, and take on a highly contemporary look.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"\"The works within this exhibition are drawn exclusively from the Rodrigue Archives and the artist\u2019s private collection. Also included are selections from his Swamp Dogs <\/i>and Hollywood Stars<\/i> series, which combine Rodrigue\u2019s love of reflective metal surfaces with painting, photography, and modern technology.<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout his career Rodrigue aligned himself with Surrealism, Pop, and Abstract Art \u2013 associations that are increasingly obvious in these later works. From his earliest Oak Trees to these late works on chrome, Rodrigue\u2019s art was his own form of \u2018contemporary,\u2019 reflecting a romantic connection with his cultural heritage intertwined with his individual experience, his artistic sensibility, and his unique world-view.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, while it may be challenging without the luxury of a career-retrospective to fully understand Rodrigue\u2019s development from Cajun landscapes to this body of work, it would be out of the question for anyone to view these vibrant, compelling artworks and not come away with a sense of nostalgia<\/strong> and wonderment<\/strong> — and a description of <\/span>Shiny Happy Blue Dog<\/i><\/span>.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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In-person Interviews and Related Events<\/h4>\n

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Wendy Rodrigue, George Rodrigue’s widow, will visit the following Oklahoma A+ Schools and bring original George Rodrigue paintings on November 15th and 16th as part of her Life and Legacy Tour<\/a>:
\nNorthwoods Elementary in Sand Springs, Grissom Elementary in Tulsa, and Freedom Elementary in Sapulpa. For information, contact Sandy Kent at 405-974-3787 or skent@uco.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Wendy Rodrigue will be at the Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum for a Gallery Talk, Reception, and Book Signing on November 17th at 5:00 p.m. Free and open to the public.<\/p>\n

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In-person interviews with Wendy Rodrigue, Bethany France, and Sandy Kent will be available on November 15, 16, and 17.<\/p>\n