BODE

BODE, a 30-minute documentary from Rapid City-based producer Randal Iverson, gives a snapshot of Rodney Bode, a painter and sculptor who created thousands of artworks mostly in obscurity at his Butte County ranch south of Arpan.

A fan of Dances With Wolves, Bode moved to South Dakota from Idaho, ostensibly in pursuit of the unpopulated landscape and proximity to Lakota traditions. Prior to acquiring an acreage in western South Dakota, Bode lived in California. An American Legion baseball player, Bode went on to play for the San Francisco Giants in their farm system but quit after two years, probably due to a conflict with his principles, says his sister Rojean Nunnally.

Bode was drafted into the Vietnam War. Nunnally says her brother did not agree with the United States’ reasons for entering the war and went AWOL, for which he served a year’s prison sentence. Nunnally says the things that happened to Bode in prison “broke him.”

Art and painting helped Bode cope. In South Dakota, Bode and his wife Renee kept many horses and other animals. According to neighbors, Bode’s ability to care for himself and his animals nose-dived after his wife’s death. Mental health advocates were called and Bode was placed in involuntary treatment.

Prior to his placement in a mental health institution, few had been granted entrance to Bode’s property. Inside his home and geodesic dome were discovered hundreds of portraits, still lifes, and abstract works. Many of the paintings are large and boldly colored. The sculptures are non-representational and composed of scrap metal. It’s thought Bode was self-taught.

Jay Pond and Greg Geiger at Rapid City’s Gallery Six13 curated an exhibit of Bode’s work in October and November, which brought in over $15,000 in sales during its first week.

Bode, now 80 and diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and vascular dementia, resides at the Human Services Center in Yankton.

BODE premieres Sunday, Dec. 19, 9:30pm (8:30 MT) on SDPB1

Thank you to Jay Pond and Greg Geiger at Rapid City’s Gallery Six13 for providing artwork images.