Description:

George Rodrigue
American/Louisiana, 1944-2013
"Blue Dog Mixed Media on Chrome"
original acrylic paint and silkscreen ink on chrome
2008, signed lower right, framed.

Provenance: Rodrigue Studio, New Orleans, 2010.

Note: As Wendy Rodrigue states: "Almost from the beginning of the Blue Dog Series, George [Rodrigue] found a release from controlled designed in mixed medias." Early embellished silkscreens provided the opportunity for spontaneity and expressiveness in dynamic complement to his carefully composed canvases. The work offered here is among his earliest forays into creating a mixed media on chrome. Rodrigue experimented for nearly a year in finding a chrome paper suitable for his designs, finally settling on a heavy chrome board as a base for his silkscreen ink and thick acrylic paint. The media allowed him to drip, splash, brush and splatter with abandon, and he created a series of Blue Dogs on chrome in varying sizes, some focusing on the face as seen here and others with full bodies. The reflective nature of the chrome background captures surrounding color and movement while highlighting the strong shape of the Blue Dog. The artist's unique designs in colorful paint highlight Rodrigue's skill as a colorist and his sense of playfulness as an artist. As part of this series and inspired to some degree by his own battle with polio as a child, Rodrigue also created monumental mixed medias on chrome which he installed at public institutions, particularly children's hospitals. Designed so that patients and visitors alike could see their reflections alongside the Blue Dog and amidst the colorful swirls and flourishes, the artist hoped to provide something positive from an otherwise traumatic experience, "even if it's just a memory of bright colors and a piece of art that reflects not only their own image, but also the joy with which it was created." From 2008 to 2013, Rodrigue installed mixed medias on chrome in nine hospitals located in Tennessee, Texas and Louisiana.

Ref.: Rodrigue, Wendy. "Shiny Happy Blue Dog." George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Foundation & Art Tour. www.legacyarttour.org. Accessed June 11, 2025; Rodrigue, Wendy. "Blue Dog: Mixed Media." George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Foundation & Art Tour. www.legacyarttour.org. Accessed June 11, 2025.

  • Dimensions: Sight: 17 x 17 in. (43.2 x 43.2 cm.), Frame: 18 3/4 x 18 3/4 x 2 1/4 in. (47.6 x 47.6 x 5.7 cm.)
  • Medium: original acrylic paint and silkscreen ink on chrome
  • Condition: No signs of past restoration; surface inconsistencies and irregularities are hand of the artist and inherent to media; frame has minor chip on lower left corner, scattered light marks, nicks and abrasions.

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July 3, 2025 1:00 PM CDT
New Orleans, LA, US

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