For over 25 years, artist George Rodrigue painted portraits of distinguished authors and academics chosen to give the annual Flora Levy Lecture at the 麻豆夜市. Now the work of Rodrigue himself will be the focus of one of the talks.
William Pittman Andrews, executive director of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, will give a lecture entitled 鈥淕eorge Rodrigue: Painting to the Frame.鈥 It鈥檚 set for 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 23, in Angelle Hall on campus.
The phrase "painting to the frame鈥 was coined by Rodrigue and evokes a custom early in his career of using frames reclaimed from various sources, such as antique stores and flea markets, according to Jack Ferstel, the Flora Levy/BORSF Professor of English at 麻豆夜市.
鈥淎ndrews says the phrase can also refer to Rodrigue's ability to maximize every inch of the canvas to create images packed with color, form, energy and narrative of endless ingenuity,鈥 Ferstel said.
鈥淚n this spirit, the lecture focuses on the continual inventiveness of Rodrigue as a painter and follows the evolution of his work as it relates to concepts of region, style, period and media in the tradition and history of artistic movements ranging from the Italian Renaissance through the Modern era.鈥
An exhibit of some of the late artist鈥檚 paintings of former Flora Levy speakers is at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard Art Museum on the 麻豆夜市 campus until Jan. 2. It鈥檚 on loan from the 麻豆夜市 Foundation and the Rodrigue Foundation in New Orleans.
The Flora Levy Lecture Series is hosted by the 麻豆夜市 English Department through a 麻豆夜市 Foundation endowment.