Dear Gambit,
Love you guys. Love the paper.
I see you put the Blue Dog on your cover this week. George Rodrigue is a great artist. Always has been. A little repetitive lately but, as an artist I can’t blame him. So few us us ever achieve significant compensation for what we bring to the world, who could complain when one of us does so in spades? Well, some people do but they are what’s known as “haters.”
Rodrigue has done it all. He has truly made his mark on New Orleans’ cultural gumbo culture. His prints now go for $1500 dollars and his little loup garou can be found everywhere. It’s in Metairie. It’s on Royal Street. It hangs with Drew Brees. It’s got its own restaurant. It’s in The Sheraton on Canal. I guess I don’t have to go in to too much detail about its exposure because it is so prevalent everywhere we go.
So, Do we need 40,000 more printed images of the Blue Dog on your cover?
I’m not coming from a negative place on this. I’m not pissed at Gambit or Rodrigue. I used to be responsible for coming up with cover images for a weekly that were both visually stimulating but also thematically tied into the editorial. So I know how hard it can be to come up with cover images week after week.
The growing issue with the Blue Dog being overexposed is that now any artist who develops a theme or motif in their work or tries to convey an image across several pieces of work is being told, “Oh, that’s your Blue Dog!” For instance, “Be Nice Or Leave” is Dr. Bob’s “blue dog.”
Rodrigue is the king. We all know that. The locals know it. The tourists know it. The natives know it. The transplants know it.
I know The Gambit has always been a friend to local artists. I speak from experience here. I’m not saying they haven’t.
I’m saying, next time you need a visually adept cover image, there are many great artists of all types in New Orleans that would love to contribute their wonderful work to your great paper.
Also, I am posting this letter on my blog.
Sincerely,
Lance “Varg” Vargas
P.S. Some may see this letter as a veiled request for my own work to appear on your cover. Not so, if it aint on recycled materials, it aint me.
Possible reason for the Blue Dog being featured so prominently: the Gambit’s Rodrigue connex –
http://bit.ly/el4GLw
I think this cover marks a career low for both Rodrigue and Gambit.
Peace,
Tim
Varg, thanks for not making your commentary an attack on Rodrigue or his art. Yes, the Blue Dog has become rather ubiquitous, but I still treasure my double autographed Pete Fountain/Rodrigue JazzFest print.
I love many other New Orleans/Louisiana artists including you and the others you named. There are so many talented yet lesser known or unknown artists in New Orleans that need exposure. I agree The Gambit and other New Orleans publications should make an effort to reach out to them and promote their work as well.
Thank you for your well-written letter/post. Honest yet civil critique is sorely lacking these days.
varg! thanks for bein positive, and keepin it real. love me some leveeland.