Capturing Nature: The Cement Sculpture of Dionicio Rodriguez: No.12 (Rio Grande/Rio Bravo: Borderlands Culture and Traditions) - Hardcover

"Brilliantly conceived, thoroughly researched, and handsomely illustrated, Patsy Light's book on Mexican-American folk artist Dionicio Rodriguez clearly defines the artist as an ingenious designer, a superb craftsman, and a valuable cultural broker. Her publication is essential to the libraries of those interested in folk art, Texas history, Mexican-American studies, landscape architecture, cultural frontiers, and a host of other subjects."--Marion Oettinger, Jr.; The Betty and Bob Kelso Director, San Antonio Museum of Art--Marion Oettinger, Jr.; The Betty and Bob Kelso Director, San Antonio Museum of A "Patsy Light's subject is Dionicio Rodriguez, a folk artist who introduced an imaginative art genre to the Southwest with his cement faux bois creations. Light traces the life of Rodriguez from the Great Depression years to the 1950s when he gained fame as a rustic artisan winning commissions for his unique art in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic coast. Light provides keen insight into the life of Rodriguez, a pioneer Hispanic artist and naturalist. Her study assures us that Rodiriguez's success in lifting public art to new heights of visibility and appreciation are not forgotten."--Ricardo Romo, President, The University of Texas at San Antonio "Patsy Light's subject is Dionicio Rodriguez, a folk artist who introduced an imaginative art genre to the Southwest with his cement faux bois creations. Light traces the life of Rodriguez from the Great Depression years to the 1950s when he gained fame as a rustic artisan winning commissions for his unique art in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic coast. Light provides keen insight into the life of Rodriguez, a pioneer Hispanic artist and naturalist. Her study assures us that Rodiriguez's success in lifting public art to new heights of visibility and appreciation are not forgotten."--Ricardo Romo, President, The University of Texas at San Antonio "Patsy Pittman Light, the author, chose a photo of a fallen black locust tree designed as a bridge over a stream as her book's cover. The image captures the essential creativity of a fine artist--form and composition--in the medium of concrete . . . The book is ultimately a catalog of the work of Dionicio Rodriguez, beautifully illustrated in a way that gives the reader a feel for his sculptural legacy. . . A new appreciation will follow from perusing this book, and from visiting Rodriguez sculptures with fresh senses."--Arkansas Democrat Gazette--Bill Worthen "Arkansas Democrat Gazette "

Over a period of some twenty years, Mexican-born artisan Dionicio Rodriguez created imaginative sculptures of reinforced concrete that imitated the natural forms and textures of trees and rocks. He worked in eight different states from 1924 through the early 1950s but spent much of his early career in San Antonio, where several of his creations have become beloved landmarks. More than a dozen of Rodriguez's works have been included on the National Register of Historic Places.Patsy Pittman Light has spent a decade documenting the trabajo rustico ("rustic work") of Rodriguez, along with its antecedents in Europe and Mexico, and the subsequent work of those Rodriguez trained in San Antonio. Rodriguez's unique and unusual art will fascinate those new to it and delight those to whom it is familiar.San Antonio sites such as the bus stop on Broadway, the faux bois bridge in Brackenridge Park, and the "rocks" on the Miraflores Gate at the San Antonio. Museum of Art, along with the Old Mill at T. R. Pugh Memorial Park in North Little Rock and Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis, are just a few of the locations covered in this volume celebrating the life and work of a Latino artisan.Students and devotees of Texas and Southwestern art will welcome this book and its long-overdue appreciation of this artist. Additionally, this book will commend itself to those interested in Latino studies, art history, and folklore.