Acadian Culture and Contemporary Commercialism: George Rodrigueâ
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Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2003 Acadian Culture and Contemporary Commercialism: George Rodrigue's Artistic and Marketing Practices Kevin M. Sandridge Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE ACADIAN CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY COMMERCIALISM: GEORGE RODRIGUE’S ARTISTIC AND MARKETING PRACTICES By Kevin M. Sandridge A Thesis submitted to the Department of Art History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2003 Copyright © 2003 Kevin M. Sandridge All Rights Reserved The members of the Committee approve the thesis of Kevin M. Sandridge defended on November 3, 2003. Robert Neuman Professor Directing Thesis Jack Freiberg Committee Member Adam D. Jolles Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures.................................................................................................................... iv Abstract............................................................................................................................... v INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 The Origins of Blue Dog......................................................................................... 2 Rodrigue and Commercial Art................................................................................ 3 1. RODRIGUE’S ARTISTIC CYCLE .............................................................................. 6 Early Commercial Influences ................................................................................. 7 Creating a Marketable Product: Using Nostalgia to Connect with Viewers ........ 11 Depictions of Acadiana – Past and Present........................................................... 13 Commercial Style Revisited: Cajun Tradition and Contemporary Celebration ... 18 2. PATRON DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING PRACTICES.............................. 23 George Rodrigue and the “Art Biz”...................................................................... 25 Early Lessons in Business Development .............................................................. 27 Marketing and Distribution Practices ................................................................... 30 Decreased Dependence on Traditional Marketing Channels................................ 36 CONCLUSION................................................................................................................. 38 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................. 40 Appendix A: Figures............................................................................................ 40 Appendix B: Copyright Permission Form ........................................................... 47 END NOTES .................................................................................................................... 48 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................. 55 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ............................................................................................ 60 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Bob Peak - Dobbs Hats Illustration, 1975................................................................40 Figure 2. Bob Peak - Bob Peak, Cover of Time Magazine featuring Anwar Sadat, 1975 ......40 Figure 3. Bob Peak – Marlboro Man, c. 1975 .........................................................................41 Figure 4. George Rodrigue - Pop Go the Ads, 1966................................................................41 Figure 5. Andy Warhol, Installation of Pop art canvases, Bonwit Teller, 1961......................42 Figure 6. George Rodrigue - Maurice’s Gully in Abbeville, 1970..........................................42 Figure 7. George Rodrigue - Aioli Dinner, 1971.....................................................................43 Figure 8. George Rodrigue - The Class of Marie Courregé, 1972 ..........................................43 Figure 9. George Rodrigue - All the King’s Men (Robert Penn Warren), 1982 .....................44 Figure 10. George Rodrigue - King of Zydeco, 1985..............................................................44 Figure 11. George Rodrigue - Paul Prudhomme, 1986 ...........................................................45 Figure 12. Rodrigue’s Son André and Tiffany, 1980 ..............................................................45 Figure 13. George Rodrigue - This is Tiffany, 1984 ...............................................................46 Figure 14. George Rodrigue - A Smarter Breed, 2000............................................................46 iv ABSTRACT In 1984 George Rodrigue, then known primarily as a naïve surrealist or Cajun primitive expressionist, was asked to paint illustrations for a collection of Louisiana ghost stories entitled Bayou. When the moment came to illustrate the French-Cajun tale of the werewolf, or loup-garoup, the artist used his previously deceased black and white spaniel- terrier mix, Tiffany, as a model. Bathed in the light of a Cajun moon, the creature took on a blue hue. Since then, Blue Dog, as the animal has become known, has generated wide recognition with original canvases and silk screens portraying this subject selling for as high as $350,000. George Rodrigue’s artistic background is rooted in commercial design. From his earliest recollections he has maintained an interest in the ability of art images to impart specific feelings and emotions and exercise influential power over those who view them. In search of a niche market and subject matter with which to showcase his artistic talents, Rodrigue turned to painting images from his Acadian heritage. Efforts within this context earned Rodrigue domestic and international acclaim. His works sold relatively well within selected circles –offered initially at prices of $50 and eventually, through enhanced product placement and networking efforts, reaching values of $150,000. However, as Rodrigue’s artistic focus shifted away from his Acadian past and began to focus intently upon Blue Dog, an icon more closely aligned with his immediate, commercially influenced present, what positive critical interest Rodrigue had been able to foster in his work began to subside. Conversely, putting to work theories concerning the power of public interest to diminish considerably the effectiveness of scant or negative critical commentary, Blue Dog’s popularity grew exponentially. This icon ushered Rodrigue into a phase of his career that, with its ability to foster instant audience report and spur mass-market appeal, reflects a heretofore-unrealized synergy between his artistic and commercial sensibilities. Today, George Rodrigue stands as an example of artistic success achieved outside the traditional artist/dealer/gallery establishment and propagated not through the centralized voices of select critics, but via the consensus opinions and economic power of a mainstream, art-purchasing audience. Using lessons learned through relationships with agents, dealers, v fellow artists, friends, and established marketing and promotional professionals, Rodrigue has generated for himself a version of the business model used historically by the art industry and infused it with his own approachable, genial persona. Without question, Blue Dog has provided Rodrigue a level of artistic freedom and financial success that was for him previously unattainable. Through the mass public appeal of the canine icon, Rodrigue’s earning potential as an artist presently dwarfs that which he achieved with his early Acadian- influenced efforts. Averaging an annual income of $10 million, it is clear that whether gleaned from the world of art or the world of business, the mantra of “success breeds success” remains true and verifiable. vi INTRODUCTION In 1984 George Rodrigue, then known primarily as a naïve surrealist or Cajun primitive expressionist, was asked to paint illustrations for a collection of Louisiana ghost stories entitled Bayou. When the moment came to illustrate the French-Cajun tale of the werewolf, or loup- garoup, the artist used his previously deceased black and white spaniel-terrier mix, Tiffany, as a model. Bathed in the light of a Cajun moon, the creature took on a blue hue. Since then, Blue Dog, as the animal has become known, has generated wide recognition with original canvases and silk screens portraying this subject selling for as high as $350,000. A native Cajun, George Rodrigue was born in 1944 in New Iberia, Louisiana. Ranging from bayou settings and peopled landscapes to images from a more recently popularized Cajun culture, Rodrigue’s early paintings are organically tied to the Bayou setting in which they appear. In some of these works Rodrigue portrays figures as ghostly and opaque, pasted onto the painting’s surface. Quite frequently, his early historical or allegorical figures, such as the famed Acadian drinking champion “Papa Jack,” seem to be resting timelessly, while at other times they are involved in various vocational or recreational activities such as blacksmithing or fishing.1 Paintings created after 1980 began to focus more