George Rodriguez's Sculpture Featured in New Book Published by Princeton University Press
Wanda M. Corn's The Couple with the Pitchfork: American Gothic from Easel to Icon, published by Princeton University Press.
George Rodriguez's sculpture, Mexican American Gothic, features in Wanda M. Corn's monograph, The Couple with the Pitchfork: American Gothic from Easel to Icon. The book, recently published by Princeton University Press, explores American Gothic, the 1930 painting by American artist Grant Wood. Corn analyzes the history and impact of the painting, as well as its influence on contemporary art.
George Rodriguez, Mexican American Gothic, ceramic with glaze and underglaze, 90 x 60 x 30 inches (dimensions variable), photograph by Spike Mafford
Rodriguez's Mexican American Gothic showcases on the book's back cover and on page 172 and 173 in 'Chapter 6: Art History Goes Mainstream.' In his reinterpretation of Wood's painting, Rodriguez replaces the pair of farmers with a field worker and domestic worker, but maintains their serious disposition. Created in 2019, the sculpture was donated to the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection by Alison and Glen Milliman, Cynthia Sears, and Michael J. Stein.
Wanda M. Corn's The Couple with the Pitchfork: American Gothic from Easel to Icon is available now for pre-order, with a publishing date of October 27, 2026.