Los Alamos Story or Chain Reaction

In this towering painting of mixed paints on raw canvas, a juxtaposed field of vibrant, energetic hues and a swath of natural earthen tones are given harmony by a boundary belt of repeating Pueblo motifs.

While exploring this colossal work’s significance in Episode 74 of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, Jesse Littlebird shares:

“It’s another of my favorite paintings from this period. It started as a reference to the atomic bomb, but I wanted it to be more ambiguous than just a mushroom cloud. There were many layers that went into it… I completed this piece on camera during the filming of the Visit ABQ series. I had been looking at this painting unfinished for a month or so… A lot of my process involves looking at a piece for days on end. I feel anxious if I don’t get that time. I need that time to see how a piece can be completed—it’s part of my commitment to what I do.”