Over a period of some twenty years, Mexican-born artisan Dionicio
Rodríguez 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
Rodríguez's works have been included on the National Register of
Historic Places.
Patsy Pittman Light has spent a decade documenting the
trabajo rústico ("rustic work") of Rodríguez, along with its
antecedents in Europe and Mexico, and the subsequent work of
those Rodríguez trained in San Antonio. Rodríguez'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.
_________________________________________________________
PATSY PITTMAN LIGHT, artist and former public school teacher
and college lecturer, served as chair of the San Antonio Missions
National Historical Park Commission and was honored as a "Texas
Hero of Historic Preservation" by the San Antonio Conservation
Society. She lives in San Antonio.
Number Twelve: Rio Grande/Río Bravo: Borderlands Culture and
Traditions
What people are saying about this book
"In a work that will no doubt amaze and delight many readers, Light
has produced a graphically gorgeous, fascinating work that both
profiles Rodríguez and documents the remarkable breadth of his work,
which reached across the United States from 1924 through the early
1950s. The most casual reading of Capturing Nature cannot fail to
impress anyone with Rodríguez’s prodigious ability and focused
creative energy."—San Antonio Express News
"This is not the obsessive work of a reclusive visionary but instead
carefully executed programs of trellises, arbors, walls, and
ornaments that decorate and distinguish outdoor spaces. A great
number of detailed photographs help bring the sculpture to life . . . This
is a thoughtful and exciting appreciation of that tradition and of one
of its premier practitioners."—The Bloomsbury Review
"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 Rodríguez, 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
Rodríguez sculptures with fresh senses."—Arkansas Democrat Gazette
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