Artist: George Rodrigue
Title: I see you, you seem me
Medium: Silkscreen
Size: Image: 16"H x 23.25"W; Sheet: 17.75"H x 25.125"W
Inscription: Signed and numbered in lower left corner
Edition: X/90
Condition: Museum Quality
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity
Featuring the iconic Blue Dog, George Rodrigue's "I see you, you see me" silkscreen features the dog set in a purple background filled with numerous reproductions of the dog's own eyes. Inspired by local folklore from Rodrigue's Louisiana home as well as his own late dog, "Tiffany," the Blue Dog has become a recognizable symbol in pop culture. The Blue Dog series is Rodrigue's most successful, and the Blue Dog has become so intertwined with the artist's identity it now acts to many as a symbol for the artist himself. The vibrant purple background of this particular silkscreen boldly contrasts the repeated image of the dog's yellow eyes. The varying size of the eyes bring to mind creatures of various sizes, and perhaps the unknown of what surrounds you in the dark. George Rodrigue's "I see you, you see me" silkscreen is signed and numbered by the artist in the lower left corner and comes with a Modern Artifact certificate of authenticity.
An artist who found great inspiration in his native Louisiana, George Rodrigue is celebrated for his iconic and long-running Blue Dog series of paintings. Drawn from a ghost story of his homeland, the Blue Dog became a ubiquitous motif and one of the most recognizable icons in American contemporary culture.
Expressing a personal relationship with Louisiana and his spiritual and cultural ideas as they pertained to his homeland, George Rodrigue gave meaning to a new phrase: Cajun Artist. Visually interpreting the landscape and the rich history of Cajun people, he painted bayou scenes with Louisiana oak trees, family gatherings in the open and local myths. It was one myth in particular that launched Rodrigue into stardom. The myth of a loup-garou, a werewolf-type dog who lurked in the swamps around Louisiana, gave rise to the acclaimed Blue Dog character. Modeled after his late dog Tiffany, a melancholy blue mutt with yellow eyes allowed the artist to jump from a dark, dreary landscape to a very bright Pop Art, contemporary color palette.
Rodrigue was awarded an Honorable Mention from Le Salon in Paris in 1975, an honorary doctorate at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2009, the Distinguished Eagle Award from the Boy Scouts of America in 2011 and received the Opus award from the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in 2013. In 2009, the artist formed the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts, a non-profit organization which advocates the importance of the visual arts in children’s development and supports a variety of art educational programs.
With each of his series, Rodrigues developed a new mode of expression in a contemporary way, but always rooted in Louisiana and it timeless symbols. His works are about life and the humanity searching for answers.
Born in New Iberia, Louisiana in 1944, George Rodrigue had spent the majority of his life in his native country. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 69 after a long battle with cancer. The value of Rodrigue’s art continues to rise after his death. In April 2015, the Blue Dog painting was sold at the Neal Auction Company of New Orleans for $173,000.