Douglas Bourgeois may be the most successful obscure artist in America. His smallish paintings command respectable prices—for their size, by New York standards—and his most recent show of over one hundred paintings, drawings, and collages sold quickly Arthur Roger Gallery; November 4—December 12. 2006].
Working day after day in his St. Amant, La., studio near Gonzales, it usually takes Douglas Bourgeois three years to create enough of his small, hyper-detailed artwork for a show.
This time, Hurricane Katrina delayed his planned exhibition, adding another year to his intensive work schedule.
It’s something the almost never happens, a once-in-a-lifetime event. Ordinarily it takes Douglas Bourgeois, the most meticulous artist in Louisiana if not the world, ages to complete a single, modestly proportioned canvas.