George Rodrigue (American/Louisiana, 1944-2013) , "Metal 5_13", 2013, acrylic and mixed media on metal, signed lower left, 48 in. x 32 in., framed . Provenance: Rodrigue Studio, New Orleans, LA, Dec. 11, 2013. Note: One of the last series created by George Rodrigue, the mixed media on offer here was inspired by an earlier group of large-scale reflective works created for children’s hospitals in Texas. Rodrigue was intrigued by the idea of patients seeing themselves reflected alongside the Blue Dog. He explained his process: “After creating the hospital pieces on mounted chrome paper, I tried embellishing a dog on a real sheet of metal. Afterwards, I coated the metal three times with automotive sealer, enhancing the shine, so that the Blue Dog and additional hand-applied paint appear to be baked into the chrome. It reminds me of the old-time porcelain signs, the type I’ve collected for thirty-five years." The reflective nature of the medium captures surrounding color and movement while highlighting the strong shape of the Blue Dog. The artist’s unique designs in acrylic paint add an expressive, distinctive and spontaneous element, which in this particular work is inspired by Mardi Gras.
Ref.: Rodrigue, Wendy. “Shiny Happy Blue Dog.” Musings of an Artist’s Wife www.wendyrodrigue.com. June 19, 2013, Accessed July 30, 2019.