George Rodrigue Biography and Artwork

born New Iberia, LA (USA) 1944

From New Iberia, Louisiana, George Rodrigue is known for his Blue-Dog series, inspired by his long-deceased childhood pet, Tiffany, whom he poses with other animals and people. He had early art talent, and ill for nearly a year, he used watercolors and crayons to pass the time and this activity set his future. He studied at the University of Southwestern Louisiana and in Los Angeles at the Art Center College of Design. For awhile he painted Abstract Expressionist works but then went back to painting that which reflected his own Cajun culture including folk tales and bayou and swamp landscapes.

Gradually a black and white spaniel, based on his childhood companion, Tiffany, appeared more and more in Rodgrigue's paintings and became the Blue-Dog, now a compelling and humorous pop figure in his original and silk screen reproductions. In 2000, representatives of the Xerox Corporation commissioned Rodrigue with a multi-million dollar contract to do a series of Blue-Dog paintings to promote their printers.

George Rodrigue is also the artist for the Absolut Vodka ads, and has created the artwork for three of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival posters. The 1995 poster with the portrait of Louis Armstrong and the 1996 one featuring Pete Fountain have become collectors' items.

George Rodrigue and his wife, Wendy, have created the House of Blues Foundation Room to support arts and cultural programs for youth. Money is raised through the sale of his paintings.

A George Rodrigue Museum is in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Select Timeline

1944 - Born on March 13 in New Iberia, Louisiana, to George Rodrigue, a brick-layer, and Marie Rodrigue.
1952 - Begins to paint and sculpt during a four-month bout of polio
1956 -To 1958 - Studies privately with Mrs. Keen in New Iberia
1959 - To 1961 - Enrolls at Art Instruction School and an intensive Art Correspondence Course
1962 - To 1964 - Enters University of Southwest Louisiana in Lafayette as an Art Major
1965 - To 1967 - Attends Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles as a Graphic Arts Major
1967 - Returns to New Iberia when his father dies. Enlists in Louisiana National Guard. Marries Veronica Hidalgo
1968 - Art Director for an advertising agency in Lafayette, Louisiana
1969 - Leaves ad agency. Begins Painting full-time. First exhibition at Arts Center for Southwest Louisiana in Lafayette.
1970 - Exhibition of 69 Rodrigue landscapes at the Old State Capitol Building, Baton Rouge
1971 - The Aioli Dinner, Rodrigue's first painting with people, displayed at the Iberia Parish Library.
1972 - The Class, Rodrigue adapted this from the class photo of his mother, Marie Courrege.
1973 - One-week exhibition in London through Munchick & Franks Fine Arts
1974 - Miss Fourth of July of Carencro, Louisiana included in touring "Watergate" exhibition of museums and galleries throughout Europe.
1975 - Produces first silkscreen (Jolie Blonde).
1976 - Book The Cajuns of George Rodrigue published by Oxmoor House, Birmingham, Alabama
1977 - The Cajuns of George Rodrigue chosen as official US State Department gift for visiting foreign heads of state during Carter Administration
1980 - Rodrigue dubbed "The Louisiana Rousseau" by Le Figaro
1983 - Commissioned by Edwards' re-election committee to paint Governor Edwin Edwards
1984 - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Monument, a 12-foot-tall bronze sculpture, dedicated in Lafayette, Louisiana. Bayou (Inkwell), a book of forty ghost stories by Chris Segura, includes first Blue Dog painting (loup-garou)
1986 - Commissioned by The Republican Party to paint President Ronald Reagan.
1988 - Commissioned by The Republican Party to paint Vice President George Bush and ten grandchildren (Painting hangs in Bush's private office)
1989 - The Rodrigue Gallery of New Orleans opens in French Quarter.
1991 - Cajun food served by Chef Paul Prudhomme at Grand Opening of Galerie Blue Dog in Carmel, California
1992 - Documentary, Rodrigue: A Man and His Dog, filmed with Whoopi Goldberg
1993 - Museum Exhibition at McLean County Arts Center in Bloomington, Illinois.
1994 - The book Blue Dog (Rodrigue, Freundlich) published by Viking Press.
1995 - Commissioned by New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival to paint Louis Armstrong. The book, George Rodrigue: A Cajun Artist (Rodrigue, Bradshaw) published by Viking Press
1996 - Commissioned by New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival to paint Pete Fountain.
1997 - Commissioned by the Democratic Inaugural Committee to paint President-elect Bill Clinton and Vice-President-elect Al Gore. Marries Wendy Wolfe
1998 - Becomes sole owner of Rodrigue Studio in New Orleans and Rodrigue Studio in Carmel. Commissioned by the New Orleans Jazz Club to create 50th anniversary poster.
1999 - Book, Blue Dog Man (Rodrigue, Brokaw), published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, NYC.
2000 - Commissioned by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival to paint Al Hirt
2001 - Paints God Bless America in response to 9/11.
2002 - Children's book Why is Blue Dog Blue? (Rodrigue) published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang.
2003 - The Art of George Rodrigue (Danto, Lewis), a 40-year retrospective, published by Harry N. Abrams, NYC.
2004 - Paints official Louisiana Governor's portrait for the Inauguration of Governor Kathleen Blanco.
2005 - Creates We Will Rise Again to benefit the Red Cross in response to Hurricane Katrina and the flooding of New Orleans.
2006 - Develops a campaign for New Orleans levee protection, sending a print to every member of Congress: To Stay Alive We Need Levee 5.
2007 - Presents a lecture series at the Phoenix Art Museum.

Select Honors

1986 - Commissioned by Republican Party to paint President Ronald Reagan
1988 - Commissioned by Republican Party to paint Vice President George Bush and his 10 grandchildren
1989 - Painted three Cajun Easter eggs for annual White House Easter Egg Roll
1992 - Commissioned by Carillon Importers to paint Absolut Louisiana for USA Today
1993 - Carillon Importers commissioned Absolut Rodrigue
1995 - Commissioned by New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival to paint Louis Armstrong
1996 - New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival commissioned portrait of Pete Fountain; and Neiman Marcus commissioned catalogue cover design for The Book
1997 - Commissioned by Democratic Inaugural Committee to paint President-elect Bill Clinton and Vice President-elect Al Gore
1998 - Commissioned by New Orleans Jazz Club to create 50th anniversary poster; and Neiman Marcus commissioned catalogue cover design for The Book
2000 - Commissioned by Young & Rubicam to create paintings for ads promoting Xerox Color Inkjet Printers; and New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival commissioned painting of Al Hirt
2003 - Honored as Outstanding Alum of the University of Louisiana
2003 - Raised approximately 1 million dollars for a new habitat for Mike the Tiger, Louisiana State University's live mascot. He did so by painting the Tiger along with Rodrigue's famous oak trees and donated 5,000 silkscreens to the Tiger Athletic Foundation.
2004 - Painted official portrait for the inauguration of Louisiana Governor Kathleen Rabineaux Blanco; inducted into Louisiana "Order of Living Legends" by the Acadian Museum; delivered guest lecture at the Great Hall of the Nantucket Atheneum, the historical library on the island of Nantucket; and honored as Artist of the Year by the American Liver Foundation in Birmingham, Al.
2005 - Created official 25th anniversary artwork for the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans

Select Artwork

Blue dog and live oak, 1996
The Petro brothers with Andre
Paper boy blues (Blue dog), 2000

Quotes

Publications

The Art of George Rodrigue: - by Ginger Danto (Author), George Rodrigue,
Red, White, and Blue Dog: A Journal - by George Rodrigue, Stewart, Tabori and Chang; Spiral edition (April 1, 2002)
Why Is Blue Dog Blue? - by George Rodrigue (Author), Bruce Goldstone, Stewart, Tabori and Chang (March 1, 2002)
Blue Dog 2007 Engagement Calendar (Calendar) - by George Rodrigue, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (August 1, 2006)
Blue Dog - by George Rodrigue,

Quick Facts

George Rodrigue is a Cajun artist who grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana. Rodrigue began painting outdoor family gatherings framed by moss-clad oak trees in an area of French Louisiana known as Acadiana.
He studied art formally at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
he is known for his creation of the Blue Dog, attributed to his deceased dog named Tiffany and influenced by Loup Garou legend. The Blue Dog was made popular by Absolut Vodka in 1992.
Rodrigue has galleries in Aspen, Colorado, Carmel, California, Lafayette, Louisiana and New Orleans, Louisiana.
We Will Rise Again was the first of five works that the acclaimed artist created for his new initiative, Blue Dog Relief: George Rodrigue Art Campaign for Recovery. To directly benefit the New Orleans Museum of Art, which was closed for six months due to flood damage, he also painted Throw Me Something FEMA and You Can't Drown the Blues.

Keywords

George Rodrigue, George Rodrigue bio, George Rodrigue biography, George Rodrigue art, George Rodrigue artist, George Rodrigue pop artist, George Rodrigue artwork, George Rodrigue work, George Rodrigue works, George Rodrigue artistry, George Rodrigue signed, George Rodrigue handsigned, George Rodrigue hand signed, George Rodrigue signed artwork, George Rodrigue hand signed artwork, George Rodrigue visual art, George Rodrigue modern art, George Rodrigue fine art, George Rodrigue print, George Rodrigue poster, George Rodrigue art book, George Rodrigue serigraph, George Rodrigue screenprint, George Rodrigue lithograph, George Rodrigue dry point, George Rodrigue printmaker, George Rodrigue photo, George Rodrigue photograph, George Rodrigue picture, George Rodrigue film, George Rodrigue portrait, George Rodrigue gallery, George Rodrigue exhibition, George Rodrigue exhibit, George Rodrigue publication, George Rodrigue popart, George Rodrigue pop art, George Rodrigue painter, George Rodrigue painting, George Rodrigue paintings, George Rodrigue acrylic, George Rodrigue pigment, George Rodrigue oil, George Rodrigue canvas,