Art of George Rodrigue: A Cajun Artist Book

Those who know him only for his Blue Dog paintings, which won fame in the 1980s, will delight in an expanded understanding of this witty, Louisiana-born artist (b. 1944). This retrospective includes an essay by art historian Danto and a preface by writer Michael Lewis; but most of this oversize book (9.5x12.5") is devoted to presentation of 265 paintings spanning the artist's 40-year career. A chronology and a brief bibliography are included. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

Though Rodrigue's earliest paintings recorded scenes of ordinary Cajun life, he is renowned for his iconic Blue Dog. This retrospective celebrates 40 years of his work, focusing on the development and modification of Blue Dog representations. A clear and engaging preface is contributed by prominent author and editor Lewis (Moneyball), who is actively interested in the fine arts. Danto, a contributor to ArtNews, the New York Times, and the Village Voice, then offers an evocative introduction that places Rodrigue within the Cajun tradition yet doesn't dismiss him as just another regional artist. Her opulent prose provides context for Rodrigue's artistic progress, and her afterword explicates his thematic shift to hurricanes. The chronological presentation of Rodrigue's oeuvre illustrates his gradual departure from a dusky palette and Cajun themes to his emblematic brilliant flat colors and glossy pop styling. Many Blue Dog images have been published in several books over the past four years (e.g., A Blue Dog Christmas; Why Is the Dog Blue?; Blue Dog Man; Blue Dog Love), and 1997 saw the publication of Lawrence Freundlich's survey George Rodrigue: A Cajun Artist. This is the first collection of Rodrigue's work since then, though it adds only a few pages on his recent hurricane paintings. Recommended for large art collections.-Rebecca Tolley-Stokes, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.