Santa Fe, NM
Hueys Fine Art, July 5-August 20
Alfredo Rodriguez, Stories and Traditions, oil, 24 x 30.
This story was featured in the July 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art July 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
Alfredo Rodriguez, Grandma’s Blessings, oil, 30 x 24.
BORN IN MEXICO to a family of nine children, Alfredo Rodriguez grew up surrounded by stunning sierras and rich Mexican Indian cultures, inspiring him to paint these subjects from a very young age. And, like many young boys of that time, Rodriguez was captivated by stories of the American West. “I loved American western movies,” he says. “John Wayne was my hero.”
Rodriguez’s fascination with western and Native civilizations has continued throughout his life, and today it is beautifully evident in all his work. The artist now lives in Corona, CA, and travels throughout the West visiting the Native lands and people that have always moved his soul and his paintbrush. This month, Rodriguez presents about 10 new oil paintings depicting mostly Plains Indians and Navajos in a solo show at Hueys Fine Art in Santa Fe, NM. The show opens on Friday, July 5, and is on view all the way through Santa Fe Indian Market, closing on August 20. A reception for the artist takes place on Friday, July 19, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Alfredo Rodriguez, The Farewell, oil, 30 x 20.
While Rodriguez painted portraits and other traditional “cowboy and Indian” scenes earlier in his career, several tragic losses in his family led to a shift in his focus back in 2004. “That was when I started to realize just how valuable life is,” he says, explaining how this inspired him to paint scenes that exemplify close human connections, especially in families—a father and son in deep conversation, a grandmother saying goodbye to her grandson as he leaves home, or a group of children laughing and playing together. “My latest works are focused on relationships, with more storytelling and interaction between the characters, rather than simple renditions of the subject,” he says.
The artist hopes to touch viewers’ hearts with the stories he tells—and he’s also passionate about sharing these stories in his traditional, representational style. “After seeing my new work, I hope viewers will come away with the feeling that realistic, representational, western art is still popular and powerful—that it’s very much alive and well, and here to stay,” he says. —Lindsay Mitchell
contact information
505.820.6063
www.hueysfineart.com
This story was featured in the July 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art July 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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