Blue Dog Speaks

When Cajun artist George Rodrigue began his series of Blue Dog paintings in 1984 he had no idea that they would consume the greater part of his life for over two decades and that the mysterious Blue Doginspired by his studio dogturned-model Tiffany and the Cajun loup-garou folk legendwould become a wildly popular international icon as well. Blue Dog Speaks is the first book to prominently emphasize Rodrigues painting titles one of the most important elements in the creation of a Blue Dog painting alongside the works. Rodrigue uses Blue Dog painting titles to provide insightwhether humorous or nostalgic or sadinto the human condition. In an introduction Rodrigue reveals how an idea that originated in childhood tales has now grown far beyond; his Blue Dogs have moved beyond Louisiana into formerly uncharted territory and now express larger concepts about contemporary life. His newer titlessuch as Right Place Wrong Time and Tiffany Remembers the 70salong with other more abstract ones such as All by Myself with My Happiness capture this shift in style and content. But most of all there are the paintings themselves magnificently displayed their titles inviting us to ask What is this dog all about? and What is the artist trying to say? Even though the definitive answers remain a mystery the titles provide a clue